Till Death Do Us Part
by BH72
Summary: An NCIS Agent goes missing in Donetsk, Ukraine. When an old case returns to the Los Angeles team, Callen is less than impressed when Granger tells him that Vance needs him in D.C. and cannot help his team on this current case. Callen teams up with Gibbs on a rescue mission that turns his life upside down. Sam and Hetty become frustrated as time goes on with no Callen.
1. Chapter 1

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Welcome to a new story where the life of a fellow agent from Callen's past is in danger in the war torn country, Ukraine. This story was inspired by a true story I found myself hearing from a mom at school, some of the details in this story are true, the rest is from my imagination. With Ukraine being very much in the news this year, I decided to use this as the beginning for this story._

**Chapter 1**

**February 17th, 2014, Washington D.C….**

Alexandra Holden was in a rush to drop her daughter, Katie, off at school. Katie was in grade three and thriving. She had lots of friends and when her mom was too busy with work, her grandparents looked after her. She was nine years old and learning guitar. She wanted to be the next Hannah Montana, although after what the actress of the show turned out like, her mother wasn't quite sure. But she supported her in her passion in learning the guitar and she was amazed at how much enthusiasm she had in learning more difficult pieces, including more recent songs, such as Rude by Magic.

"Katya?" Alex walked over to one of the moms at school, looking concerned. "Is everything okay?"

Katya shook her head. "No. I've got to fly home, my mother's just died."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Alexandra's eyes widened at the story about how Katya had to fly to Istanbul and catch another flight into Donetsk, Ukraine, where all the rebels were located and fighting against the country's government. It was too dangerous for her to fly into Kiev, she had been told.

"If you need to contact me with regards to anything going on at school over the next couple of weeks, you can still send me emails and Peter will have access to them. He'll be on his own with Daniel." Daniel was in Katie's class and they were friends, so Alex found herself chatting every so often with his mother, although they weren't friends. But upon hearing her story, an idea came into Alexandra's head and instantly went into gear.

"Would you like me to come with you, to keep you company?" She pulled her cell out and began sending a text to her boss, hoping for his support at her idea. "_Just got an opportunity to fly into Donetsk with a mom at school. She's going for her mother's funeral. Do you want me in?"_

_"It's a go," the reply came in quickly._

_"_Are you crazy? Do you realise how dangerous it is over there at the moment?" Katya's hands shook with nerves about the forth coming trip. "Don't you have to work?" She knew that Alexandra was a single mom and worked full time, with the support of her parents.

"All the more reason not to travel alone. If Peter can't go with you, you should still have a travel companion. Two's safer than one." Alexandra smiled warmly and hugged Katya when tears sprung forth with gratitude. "Plus I'm due a holiday."

"Thank you, you are very kind, Alex."

**_ February 20th, 2014, Donetsk, Ukraine…_**

The news reports hadn't provided the full effect of what life in the country's east was like for the people. Alexandra held Katya close as they passed gunmen who lined the streets and watched their every move. Life was very different from back home, but Alex was thankful that she had the experience in war torn countries as a Federal Agent for NCIS. Twenty years on the job and she was a veteran. But here she was undercover as a friend of Katya, so she peered around her with wide eyes like she was in fear. "You weren't wrong when you said it was bad here, Katya. Where's the house where we are staying?"

Katya pointed in the direction. "I need to get some money out. How are you with cash? They've placed restrictions, only fifty US dollars equivalent allowed in one day. If you need more, you've got to travel around the city to all the different banks."

"I'm okay for now." Alexandra was thankful for the envelope that Leon Vance had left for her in Istanbul. Enough cash to cover the two week time frame she was intending on being in Donetsk.

**_March 13th, 2014, Los Angeles…_**

The team were having a rare morning playing two against two in a game of basketball. Callen and Sam were two points ahead of Deeks and Kensi, when Eric ran into the gym. "We've got a case, guys."

"Oh come on," Deeks called out. "We're almost in the lead here."

Eric shrugged. "Then that makes Callen and Sam the winners."

Callen smirked and Sam chuckled as they heard the moaning from the detective calling out for their unfair win. They followed the Technical Operator up into the Ops Centre and waited to be briefed. Hetty waited alongside Nell, talking over their latest case.

"Last night, there was a break in at this facility," Nell began the brief. Video footage of said break in was caught on camera and Eric pressed play.

Six armed men, dressed in black with balaclavas entered the facility through the roof. "How the hell did they get onto the roof without a ride?" Deeks inquired, surprised by what they were seeing. These men were pros and had thoroughly planned their break in.

"This is how," Eric brought up footage from a nearby building, showing the men flying across on a wire with harnesses from the building next door.

"That is way cool," Deeks muttered.

Hetty turned and looked at him. "I can arrange it for our next team building exercise, if you wish, Mr Deeks."

"You can?" His eyes widened in surprise, but then he saw the glint of mischievousness in their Operations Manager's eyes and he realised she was pulling his leg. "Oh, very funny."

Kensi nudged her partner, slightly amused before refocusing on their case.

"What did they get away with?" Callen brought the focus back onto why they were there.

"Microchips in a safe on the fortieth floor," Nell responded.

"Microchips for what?" Callen asked again.

"For these." Eric brought up the missile launchers and they all knew what damage they could do. It brought back memories of Tracy Rosetti again for Callen and he sighed, thinking he had to see her again.

"Are they the same microchips Tracy had in a locker when White was trying to kill her?" Sam asked, after noticing the tense muscles underneath Callen's purple plaid shirt.

"The very same." Nell brought up the details of the previous case that involved James Thomas Mason. "Mason made bail a week ago and it's no coincidence that these microchips were stolen so soon after his release."

"He's out already?" Callen's voice bordered on anger from disbelief over the fact that a well known terrorist and a psychotic one at that could have made bail after such a short time.

"Unfortunately, Mr Callen, he's been a model prisoner and has paid for a very good lawyer." Hetty sighed, not liking where this case was heading. "Because Miss Rosetti had us involved in the last case due to FBI's rogue agent, John White, we've been asked by SecNav to find the microchips and proof that Mason was behind this theft."

"I presume seeing Mason is out on bail, you have an address for him?" Sam asked Nell and Eric.

"We do. It's on your phones." Eric replied. His body tensed as Owen Granger entered the room and stood to the rear.

"Mr Callen, may I remind you that the last time you met with Mason, it didn't go well. May I suggest that you take your partner and visit the crime scene and have Detective Deeks and Miss Blye visit Mr Mason."

"Yeah, you're right, Hetty." He turned to leave, but was stopped by Owen Granger.

"Not you, Agent Callen." Granger stood firm to prevent him from leaving.

Steam could have be seen coming out of Callen's ears if he had been in a cartoon. He was peeved and everyone in that room knew it. "What do you mean, not me? This is from an old case that I had a huge part in the last time we dealt with Mason. You can't just take me off this case."

"I haven't. This has come from Director Vance. Grab your go bag and take these." He handed him an envelope. "Your tickets to D.C. Flight leaves in ninety minutes, don't miss it."

Callen turned to Hetty for help. "Hetty?"

"I'm sorry, Mr Callen. I have not been informed about any of this. There's nothing I can do." Hetty glared at Owen, not amused by the timing of Callen being taken away, nor the fact that she had been kept out of the loop.

Sam patted him on the shoulder. "Now who do I take with me to the crime scene?" He looked intently at Owen daring him to say him.

"Take Nell," Owen returned the glare, pleased with his counter move. He was still very much in the dark himself on why Vance requested Callen's immediate presence in D.C.

**_Downtown Los Angeles…_**

Nell observed the annoyed behaviour of the former Navy SEAL, who, to his credit, kept his opinions to himself. He knew it wasn't Nell's fault that Callen had been shipped off to D.C. for some unexplained reason, but it didn't mean he had to like it either. As they pulled up outside the fifty storey building, they entered through the front and showed their identification to the front desk. They were led to the lift and taken up to the fortieth floor by one of the building's security staff. When they stepped off the lift, the floor was flooded with FBI and LAPD.

"This is a FBI case," Agent Cassidy told them once their identification had been known to him.

"Actually, it's ours," Sam replied. "We dealt with White, Rosetti and Mason the last time these microchips were up for grabs. We know that Mason made bail last week, and White was your rogue agent. We want all the crime scene evidence sent through to our lab for analysis." He stood firm, with his cell in his hands, when he saw that Cassidy wasn't going to budge. "I'll call Hetty then."

Cassidy furrowed his brow, he'd heard about Henrietta Lange from his peers that she wasn't one to mess with, nor her people. "I'll call my boss." He turned and made his call, unimpressed that it was true that he had to pass the case over to NCIS. "Give them all you've got," he called out to his team. "This is now an NCIS case." There was a flurry of activity on the floor where the microchips had been kept safe for four years and up to the roof. FBI staff were quick to hand Sam and Nell all their evidence collected so far and details on their prognosis of entry was run down with them, as they followed Cassidy up onto the roof.

"Have your people cordoned off the other building, where the thieves entered and exited yet?" Nell scanned the neighbouring building for further analysis.

"No. We've been busy just on this building." Cassidy was annoyed to have had this case pulled out from under their feet, but it was always messy when one federal agency pulled ranks over another.

"We'll get our people in next door then," Sam told him.

Nell quickly pulled her cell out and dialled Eric. "Eric, we need a team inside the building next door to analyse anything that will help us identify who these six men were."

"On it, Nell." Eric quickly typed in the details and issued for a crime scene unit to the location.

"Sam and I are heading over there now. It looks like the FBI and LAPD have been thorough inside this building. We'll send through what we can via phone. The rest we can pass onto our CSU."

"Thanks, Nell. Stay safe." Eric disconnected the call and saw the tension in their Operation's Manager. "Hetty?" Her non recognition of him worried him even more. "Perhaps a soothing cup of tea might be in order for you?"

Hetty refocused on her Tech and nodded. "That sounds like a good plan, thank you, Eric." He sighed as he watched her exit the tech filled room for her office. He pulled up live footage of her brewing a pot, but she sat in her chair staring out into space again. Something was on her mind, that was for certain.

Deeks hesitated as he and Kensi approached the front door of Mason's property. It was well tended, not what one would expect of a criminal who had spent the previous four years in jail. But Mason had money and obviously had continued to pay his employees well for the upkeep of this fine establishment in the heart of Beverley Hills. "This place doesn't have any indication of what kind of man lives inside here. You don't think it's a bogus address, do you? I mean, Mason is a psycho and a terrorist."

"What were you expecting, Deeks? A sign to warn you of the man inside?" Kensi retorted.

"Now that would be helpful. "Warning: one bell, we'll attack you from the front, two bells, we'll attack you from the back."

"Really Deeks? You're quoting Paul Revere at a time like this? We're coming to ask him questions, not for an all out battle to rescue Boston from the Brits. Not that we're on the East Coast either."

"I'm just saying he's not right in the head, and we need to be prepared for anything." Deeks tried to explain his concern over visiting James Thomas Mason. "Especially if he has the microchips in his possession."

"But he doesn't have the missiles, Deeks. Remember, we took hold of them four years ago."

"That doesn't mean he hasn't attained some more since."

Kensi took in a deep breath and pressed the door bell. Her hand neared the small of her back, with Deeks' ramblings on about Mason, her nerves were on edge.

"May I help you?" A tall man in his sixties answered the door, dressed in a velvet jacket and grey trousers. He was greying around the edges and well groomed. _Something Deeks could learn from, _Kensi pondered to herself.

"Hello. I'm Special Agent Kensi Blye and this is my partner, Detective Marty Deeks. We're here to ask James Thomas Mason some questions."

"I'm sorry, my son is not here. I haven't seen him in over five years." The man furrowed his brow. "He's not in trouble with the law, is he?"

Kensi opened her mouth to answer, but her partner beat her to it.

"Your son hasn't been in touch with your for over five years?" Deeks looked to his partner, suddenly concerned over the whereabouts of their fugitive.

"No, not since he left Law School. His mother and I worry about him. We wished he would call home once in a while."

"Do you have an address for him?" Kensi asked the man, who appeared to have no clue on his son's criminal acts.

"No, but we know he's employed by Hector and Sons Law Firm, downtown. They send cards and gifts on his behalf for our birthdays and Christmas." David Mason advised them.

"Thank you, Sir, you've been a great help." Deeks and Kensi left the premises and drove for downtown L.A.

"Eric, we have a problem. There was no sign of Mason at his parent's house. They haven't seen him in over five years. They think he's employed by Hector and Sons Law Firm. We're heading there now to see if anyone there can help locate him."

"That's the building next door to where the thieves got access to the secured building. Sam and Nell are there right now. I've sent a CSU to that location as well."

"Tell Sam we'll be there in fifteen." Deeks pressed his feet firmer on the pedal and hoped their colleagues were safe.

_A/N: I know the intro to this story has a few fractions of stories going on. They will come together soon and you will find out what's going on. Thanks for taking the time to read and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this new story. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for the wonderful responses to the first chapter. _

**Chapter 2**

**_March 13th, Washington D.C…._**

The five hour flight was not what Special Agent G. Callen had in mind, when he woke up at five am that morning. It was now five in the afternoon when he landed in the nation's capitol and was bordering on frustration when he stepped off the plane. He hated being kept in the dark on anything, especially when Hetty played chess with their lives at times. But now even she had no idea on why he was brought to the East Coast. His face brightened a little upon seeing his old friend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs' standing back from the crowd, waiting for him.

"Hey, Callen. Long time no see." Callen hugged him briefly, pleased it was him who met him and no one else.

"Yeah, how you doing?"

"Pretty good. Weird seeing you back here though. Ten years is a long time to stay away, Callen."

"You understand why I couldn't return, don't you?" Callen looked over to Gibbs and saw him shake his head.

"No. actually I don't. You were happy here, we were a team, a family and you get this offer to do undercover work in L.A. and then you were gone. We were left to pick up the pieces. I had to find a replacement for you and…"

"How is she?" Callen stopped beside Gibbs' car and looked over to him.

"You should have called her yourself. Or hopped on that damn plane and come back to see her. She was a mess after you up and left." Gibbs shook his head again. "I know it's none of my business, but you've got a lot of making up to do."

"She was suppose to come with me. Follow me to L.A." He climbed inside the warmth of the car. One thing he never missed about D.C. was the cold. "She chose to stay here." It was what he had going through his head to convince himself that it wasn't his fault.

"Well you better find some better excuse than that. Because she's missing." Gibbs' words hung in the air as Callen's heart pounded inside his chest.

"Missing from where?" It all made sense now. The secrecy in Vance pulling him out of OSP to the East coast. They had once been a team. The best on the East Coast. Gibbs, Kate, him and Alex. The four of them had become a family and when he got the opportunity to do undercover work for Hetty in Los Angeles, he left them all behind. It was what he was best at, they all knew it. Like he was born to do it. He also needed to find answers on who he was and who his family were. Since working back in L.A., he'd learned a great deal, although his name was still very much a mystery to him. After thirty-nine years of not knowing who he was, he wondered if he would ever discover the truth.

"Donetsk." Gibbs overtook a slow truck, and made his way to the Navy Yard. Vance was briefing them on the details of what he wanted from them. But he knew that it was up to the two of them to go in as old aliases to find her and bring her home. He only hoped Callen could put his personal feelings behind him and focus on rescuing her.

"No way. We don't have any agents in there. It's too risky." Callen's eyes widened at the reality of Alexandra's situation.

"She had an opportunity to go in with a friend. She's from Donetsk and she had to return home for her mother's funeral. It was a solid cover, this friend has no idea who she really was. It was our best shot to find out what was really going on in that region. She was supposed to be there for two weeks. That was three weeks ago. Neither her or her friend have been seen since her mother's funeral, just over a week ago."

"How are we going in then?" Callen knew the answer before he even asked the question, but asked it anyway.

"Ivan and Anatoly, our old aliases. It's safest to head into Russia first, then into Ukraine. Vance plans on having us trade microchips for some missiles they've procured, for Alex and her friend."

"Microchips? The ones my team back in L.A. are searching for?" He rubbed his hand through his hair and couldn't believe their luck.

"No. These are fake. What microchips are you talking about?" Callen furrowed his brow as he thought back to four years earlier.

"Four years ago, we came across a rogue FBI agent who was trying to sell microchips for some missiles to a guy named James Thomas Mason. I went it to trade the microchips for money, while my team found the missiles and we arrested Mason. He got out of jail a week ago on bail and last night a team of six armed men stole the microchips out of a secured building."

"Well I hope your team find Mason and the missing microchips. But these aren't them. These ones have been tampered with. They will only work for a short time, then we press a button on a black box and they are destroyed."

"Sounds like a plan. Any idea on where we'll find Alex and her friend?"

"My team have been looking for them. We think we've located them." Gibbs pulled up outside the Navy Yard building and stepped out of his car. "Are you ready to see Alex again, Callen? Because if you aren't I'll go in with DiNozzo."

"My replacement?" Callen shook his head. "No. I owe it to Alex to get her out alive. I'm ready, Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded. "Good. We fly out in four hours to Istanbul for a connecting flight into Rostov-on-Don. We have agents on the ground waiting for our arrival to help us cross into Ukraine."

Callen nodded as he followed Gibbs inside and up the old familiar lift up into the orange room. Well he was sure it was still orange. Nothing else would feel the same for him, that he was sure of. Only Gibbs was from the old team, even Jenny Shepherd was gone and Vance stood in her place. He exited the lift and looked around, seeing a few changes here and there, a lot of new faces and was greeted with a hug from Abby as she ran over to him.

"Hey Abs."

"Callen. It's so good to see you again. Is anyone else from your team with you?"

"No, just me. Vance wanted me for something."

Abby's face fell. "Oh." She looked between him and Gibbs and a churning began her stomach. "Oh, no. What are you two doing? Where are you going?" She followed them up the stairs towards Vance's office, but stopped when their director exited and gave her the look to leave them alone. "Please don't send them anywhere dangerous, Leon. Not after the last time you sent them to Moscow and they got shot down."

Gibbs turned and faced the goth forensic scientist. "Abs, we'll be find. Stop worrying."

Gibbs and Callen entered Vance's office and sat opposite him at his desk. "I'm sorry to pull you like this, Agent Callen, but I was told that only the two of you can pull off Alexandra's rescue."

Callen knitted his brow. "By who?"

"Alex. It was her back up plan, if she didn't return home after the two weeks in Donetsk. Old aliases of yours and Gibbs would be the perfect cover to get her out."

"Ivan and Anatoly. Yeah, Gibbs told me."

Vance handed him a folder. "Read everything in this and then hand it back to me. This is everything I can give you on Katya Dombrowsky, who is now an American Citizen. She's married to a Peter Gower, an American. They have a son, Daniel, who is nine and they live locally here in D.C. Alexandra has known Katya for a few years and offered to go with her to Donetsk for her mother's funeral. There has been no known ties to the rebels in her home town to Katya, and we think that Alex's identity has been burned and Katya has been caught up in it."

"Which would mean that she's in grave danger, if she's still alive." Callen shook his head in disbelief to even voice his concerns that he may be going in just to bring her body home. He took in a deep breath and held it for a moment as he focused on the information inside the folder he held in his hands.

"Which is why this is a black op, Agent Callen. No one can know you're going in, other than the three of us, Gibbs' team and the men on the ground."

"Is that why you've kept Hetty out of the loop on this one?"

Vance nodded. "Not even Granger knows why I called you here. That way Hetty can't dragged it out of him."

"She won't like this." Callen understood the frustration of being kept in the dark on something, especially when it involved Hetty's own people.

"I promised Alex that I wouldn't tell Hetty. She blames her for you leaving D.C. I have to agree with Alex on this, Agent Callen. If I had been Director ten years ago, I would not have allowed Hetty the power to snatch you from this team."

"I wanted to go, Director. I was born to do undercover work and I needed answers on who I am." He narrowed his eyes trying to work out why Alex blamed Hetty and wanted her to not know about his rescue of her. The plan was for Alex to join him in his new team. Hetty told him he was to be the team leader and she would provided the team for him. He'd asked for Alex to be part of that team, and not once had Hetty told him that she couldn't be. "What am I missing here?"

"You find Alex and bring her home, safely, Agent Callen. That is for her to tell you and not me." Callen nodded and left the office, scanning the intel as fast as he could. He needed to get back into his old alias, Ivan Borovsky, a Russian arms dealer, he'd played ten years ago. _Oh Ally, I hope you've thought this through. Please be alive._

**_Downtown, Los Angeles…_**

Deeks pulled up outside the address and he and Kensi ran inside and showed their badges to reception. "You're colleague are on the forty-eighth floor."

"Thanks." Relief spread across their faces upon seeing LAPD and their CSU on site. With Callen away in D.C., they felt exposed to anything, although they were glad to have Nell out in the field to support Sam.

Sam was brooding under the surface, but he remained focused on task. Deeks kept his mouth shut, not wanting to push the former SEAL any further. "You got the message about Hector and Sons Law Firm then?" He asked Nell, seeing her as the safest option. He understood how it felt to be lost without your partner, so he knew what Sam was going through. And not to know when he'd be back, would make him brood for some time.

"Yes. The company appears legit. Mason was asked to set up their San Diego's office four years ago. They think he's down there, no one has any idea he's been in jail." Nell quietly advised Deeks and Kensi.

"Neither do the parents. We sure we've got the right guy here? Have you seen any photos of Mason to confirm we're dealing with the same person?" Deeks asked, as he began to wonder if Mason wasn't really who he said he was.

"I'm waiting for their HR manager to provide his file." Nell turned with a smile and thanked the woman for the file, now safely in her hands. "Let's take a look then." All four sets of eyes widened at the photo of the real James Thomas Mason.

Sam looked over to the HR manager and pulled out his cell. "Do you know this man?" He showed the woman the photo they had of their James Thomas Mason.

"Yes, he worked in the office as a cleric for a year, about five years ago. Then he resigned around the time Mr Mason moved to San Diego. What's going on?"

"Identity theft, I'm afraid. Do you have the file on this man?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, I'll fetch it for you." She walked back into her office and came back out soon after with another file. She handed it to Sam who immediately opened and read his details. He took photocopies of his details and sent them through to Eric.

"Meet Donald Masser. Our real suspect. We have an address, let's go. CSU can finish up here." The team nodded and headed back down to street level and drove off in their vehicles. The address was in South Gate, far from the Beverley Hills address he gave his parole officer.

"LAPD are on route for back up." Eric advised them as Hetty and Granger stood behind him, watching their approach to Masser's property.

Nell rang the doorbell, pretending to have lost her dog. "Excuse me, have you seen my dog? He's a French Bulldog and his name is Rusty." She showed him a photo of a ruddy coloured bulldog she'd pulled off the internet and hoped it fooled their suspect, Masser.

"No, lady, I haven't seen it." He slammed the door shut, and Nell nodded, having confirmation they had the right address for him and that he was at home.

Sam knocked this time and Masser was surprised to see him there. He'd remembered him from his arrest and began to run through his house to the back door, where Kensi and Deeks waited with their guns drawn out, facing him.

"Federal Agents, on your knees." Deeks called out, pleased with how stupid this criminal was.

Donald Masser fell to his knees as Kensi cuffed him and hauled him up. "You've got some explaining to do, Mason. Or should we call you Masser." Deeks snarled.

**_Boat Shed …_**

"Where are the microchips?" Sam growled. Nell stood in corner, analysing their suspect.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Masser knew he'd been found out on his real identity, but he was going to try his hardest to deny the previous night's raid. He'd employed five men to help him get the microchips and he was surprised at how easy it had been for them. His old employer's location was easy to use, seeing he still had an old access card to the building and the upper floors, allowing them access to the roof. The men he'd hired were pros in thieving from the rich and famous, so going in through the roof was a breeze. He'd only been out of jail for a week, he had no desire to return back inside.

Nell shifted the chair to the table and approached Masser in a different way to Sam. "Look, Masser. We've got you okay. You thought you could fool us into thinking that you were the real James Thomas Mason, but we found you out, through your old employer and found your real address. So it won't take us long to find out where the microchips are, with our without your help. With your help, you will go back inside for maybe another year or two. Without your help, Agent Hanna here can send you to Guantanamo Bay, where I hear water sports are all the rage."

Deeks and Kensi rested on the table out in the main room and chuckled. "Oh Nell, she's real good." Deeks drawled out. "Callen would be proud of her."

Kensi smiled. "Yeah, he would. Just don't mention Callen around Sam. He's been brooding all day."

"Tell me about it. Good thing we've got Nell to talk to, I'm too afraid to say anything incase he snaps."

"I know what you mean." She tilted her head and analysed him. "Did you brood when I went away?"

Deeks fiend a shock look, then smiled. "Yeah, I did."

"Good to know." Kensi smiled warmly and gently nudged him. "I would too, if you were taken from me like that."

Their conversation was cut short when Nell and Sam walked out with a smug look about them. "I don't know how you managed that, Nell, but we need you in interrogation more often." Nell blushed at Sam's praise.

"I'd say you're off your game today, Mr Hanna. We understand why, we just hope you won't let it affect your performance again." They all turned and found Hetty standing in the entrance to the boat shed. "I've tried to get answers out of Vance, but he refuses to answer my calls."

"I'm sure G will be back soon, Hetty." Sam smiled over to her, half convincing her and himself at the same time. "Nell's got the location of the microchips. We've handed it over to the FBI to pick them up. Let's hope they find a more secure location for them this time."

Deeks pulled out some beers. "To Callen. Whatever he's up to, may he come home safe, soon." They all clinked their bottle and gulped down the golden ale. "And to Nell, for her awesome interrogation skills."

"To Callen and Nell."

A_/N: It's a good thing the team discovered Masser's real identity in time to locate the microchips before they got sold on to another terrorist. Do I have you curious to know more about Alexandra and her history to Callen? Love to hear from you. Please leave a review._


	3. Chapter 3

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews and for reading this story. Warning: This chapter delves into violence against one of the characters which some might not want to read._

**Chapter 3**

**_March 14th, 2014, Donetsk, Ukraine…_**

Alexandra pried her eyes open in the darkness of the old disused building. She could hear the scatter of cockroaches across the floor and prayed there weren't any rats around. Her injuries made her go in and out of consciousness and she had no idea where she was or how long it had been since she and Katya had been taken. She shouldn't have come. Her own words kept running over in her mind. By coming, she had placed Katya into danger and she had nothing to do with this. She could hear the woman's cry over on the other side of the room where they had been tied up. But at least they hadn't tortured or raped Katya. Not that she knew of anyway. Her being from there gave her the advantage of being safe. But it was the face of someone who shouldn't have been in Ukraine, that she knew had burned her. Adam Green. Special Agent of NCIS, out of the Boston office. He had been laughing and dealing in weapons when he'd first seen her there on the streets with Katya. His visage had darkened and before she had the chance to disappear, both of them had been grabbed and hauled to this building. She hadn't seen Green again, but she knew that her own fate had been carved in stone once he'd seen her.

She coughed from the cold that had set in her body. It was covered in bruises, and she was sure she had some broken ribs and the cuts to her body continued to open up and bleed every time she moved. But it was the man who appeared in charge, when he came into see her, that made her body shudder. She could not hide the fear from her eyes when he would beat her around and rip her clothes off and rape her. Her clothes now lay discarded on the dirt ridden floor beside her, no longer useful to keep her body covered and warm. Pain shot through her chest as she coughed and suspected that pneumonia had settled in her chest. She knew Vance had her back up plan and she prayed that Callen and Gibbs would come to rescue them, before it was too late. She needed one last time to see him and tell him. It was what kept her going, to survive the torture and the abuse that her body had inflicted. Being well trained in her field, she had the psychological tactics from to gain strength. She was able to separate her mind from what her body endured, to stay alive until help arrived.

The door in the corner dragged open and male voices in Russian could be heard. She recognised Callen's Russian accent immediately and her adrenaline picked up on hope for an escape. The men were laughing and the man who had repeatedly raped her since being taken, walked straight over to her and pulled her to her feet. If Callen was shocked to see the state she was in, he hid it well.

"No. No more," Alex cried out.

The men laughed. "You now belong to Ivan. You must please Ivan like you have pleased me, you whore." He threw her to Ivan, who grabbed her arm tight, in a possessive way.

"She's not a whore." Another woman's voice cried out from the other side of the room. She's a mother, a good one too. She's my friend and she is not a spy."

"You never told me you had two of them?" Ivan's eyes widened at the thought of having two women to please him. But the words the woman said didn't make sense. How was she a mother? Had Alex found love again and had a child with them? He was confused. But now was not the time or place to ask the woman what she meant. Perhaps it was a cover Alex had set in place and borrowed a child to get close to this woman for the case.

"This one will go home to her husband," the man told him. "She is not for sale." He untied her and hauled her towards the door. "Go home, Katya. Do not ever come back."

Ivan looked over to his friend, Anatoly. "You don't have another to please my friend here?"

The Ukrainian man laughed. "I'm sure you can both share this whore."

Ivan tightened his grip on Alexandra's arm while Anatoly covered her naked body with a blanket. They led her to their car outside and shook hands with the rebels. "It's good doing business with you, Roman." Ivan climbed into the back with Alex, never releasing his hold on her. Anatoly climbed into the drivers seat and drove east for the border.

All strength left Alex once she knew she was safe. She rested her head on Callen's shoulder and fell asleep. The car rattled on the poorly maintained roads and passed through the checkpoint into Russia. Once they arrived back into Rostov-on-Dom, they were greeted by agents with a private plane. "She'll need some clothes," Callen told them and they handed him a bag. "It's all in here. We managed to find where she had been staying and found her bag of belongings."

Callen thanked the agent, and carried Alex up into the plane. She felt lighter than he remembered her to be and the image of her battered naked body made his gut clench tight. His jaw tightened as the anger he'd kept at bay bubbled under the surface. He clipped her into the seat belt and clipped his own on, as their plane taxied down the runway. The plane took off and headed for Nottingham, in England. They would need to stay there for at least a week, to allow Alex's injuries to heal somewhat, before making the final leg of their journey to D.C. Gibbs called through to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham and asked for an ambulance to be waiting for their arrival. They wondered if she would have survived her injuries if they had arrived a day later. Her chest rattled and they knew that she was fighting pneumonia.

Once the seat belt sign switched off, Gibbs pulled out the medical box and found what he needed. He inserted a shunt into the back of her hand, but it took five attempts to get it into her vein. Even for someone like Gibbs, who was well trained in attending medical aide to soldiers, he was shocked at how dehydrated Alex was. Whoever had burned her, wanted her dead or lost forever. It was fortunate for them, their old aliases came in good use in this case. Alex had thought her plan through well, but she should never have gone without back up. He attached the saline solution to get her hydrated again. He knew they needed to take a close look at her injuries, but decided not to humiliate her again after all she'd been through. The normally athletic agent had become thin to the bone, bruised and abused in such a short time. He wanted to go back and kill Roman with his bare hands. No one did this to his family and lived.

Although she was not blood, they had become family as a team. They had already lost Kate, he didn't need to lost Alex as well. They'd been his replacement after losing Shannon and Kelly and after that his later three failed marriages. All went well until Callen moved to Los Angeles. Then their family began to crumble. He'd found DiNozzo and asked him to replace Callen, then Alex struggled watching DiNozzo flirt with Kate, and asked for a transfer. That's when McGee came onto his team and all was well until Ari killed Kate. He was a mess and wanted leave it all behind him. He resigned for a while, but his new team needed him and he returned to lead them. Since then he'd managed to keep most of them, except for Ziva. He understood her reason for going and had accepted it. After many attempts with temporary agents, a case had him working with a DEA Analyst who wanted to become an agent. Ellie Bishop was perfect for his team. He always preferred to have at least one woman on the team and she slotted in well. Her being married, helped keep DiNozzo behaving and all had continued smoothly. Then Vance told him about Alex and he couldn't help himself but shout at his team to find her. None of them understood why this case affected him as much, except for DiNozzo, who had worked beside Alex for a while.

Every now and then, Alex would return to consciousness and her hand would go straight for the shunt. "Don't touch it, Ally." Callen's soothing voice brought her focus to his face.

"G?" Her hand touched his cheek, checking that he was real. "You found me."

"Yes, babe, I did." Tears poured down her face and she cried in his arms. It had been like being trapped inside a horror movie, with no ending.

Callen encased her frail body within his strong arms, his own tears threatening to spill. It broke him to see her like this. How could he have left her ten years ago? All his feelings for her returned to the forefront of his mind in a sudden rush. "I'm sorry, Ally. I'm sorry, I left you."

She fell back to sleep again, but her cough concerned them both. Their plane began to make its descent and they were thankful that it wouldn't be much longer before she would get the best medical attention around.

As planned an ambulance met them on the tarmac and took her to the Queen's Medical Centre. Still wrapped in a blanket, Alex was led inside to a team of medical staff, to dress her wounds, have x-rays taken for any broken ribs and bones, antibiotics administered and a rape kit performed. After Callen and Gibbs provided them the details on what they had learned that they had done to her in Ukraine, they went ahead to assess her body's internal organs, head and limbs, to get her onto the road to recovery. The concerned looks from the doctor and nurses when Alex coughed had Callen and Gibbs worried, that she might not be out of the woods just yet.

They waited out in the waiting room for three hours before the doctor came out to speak with them. "I need to speak with her family. Do you have their contact details?"

"I'm her family," Callen responded. His voice felt foreign and his mouth parched as the severity on what she had been through hit him. "I'm her husband."

The doctor nodded and began to tell him about Alex's prognosis. "I'm sorry I don't have much in the way of good news. She was raped, from what we can see, on numerous occasions. She has three broken ribs, but no other broken bones. She's suffered concussion to the rear of her head, however, the swelling is coming down. We've disinfected all her wounds and put ointment on her bruises. We've continued the hydration of fluids and added antibiotics for the pneumonia. It looks like she hasn't been given any food for over a week. I don't know how much longer her body could have survived. In fact, I have no idea how she's survived this far."

"She's a fighter," Gibbs told him. He recognised the guilt and fear in Callen's eyes. He gently squeezed Callen's shoulder for support. "She's going to need you to get through this, Callen."

Callen looked at him and nodded. He felt like his body was on auto pilot, numb from the pain he should be feeling right then. Grief, guilt and fear for Ally. "Can I see her?" He looked over to the doctor who nodded.

"Of course. It will help her with the healing, knowing that you're with her. But I should warn you, she keTieps drifting in and out of consciousness. I'm not sure if she'll be ready to move in a week's time to D.C."

He turned to Gibbs. "You should head back home. There's nothing more you can do for her now."

"You sure?" Gibbs knitted his brows together with concern for not only Alex, but also for Callen. They had a great deal to work through, once Alex was well enough. And that appeared a long way off, from the sounds of it.

Callen nodded. "Thanks, Gibbs. For coming with me. I couldn't have done it on my own."

"That's what family is for." Gibbs gave Callen a parting hug and left from Washington D.C.

Callen followed the doctor through the corridor that led them to where Alex lay. He hesitated at the curtain to her cubicle. In the bright lights of the hospital, Alexandra looked deathly pale. Her arms and legs had bandages wrapped about them and another one around her head. Her ribs had been taped together and a single sheet lay over her to cover her naked body. No one had tried to dress her in a hospital gown, until she was strong enough. An escaped tear fell down Callen's cheek as he sat beside her and held her hand. He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, trying to show her that he was there for her. He'd ruined the best thing in his life that day he flew out of D.C., leaving Alex behind. It took him years to settle in a house, but even that wasn't a home. It felt empty without Alex there to share it with him.

Guilt continued to fester inside of him over the way he'd treated his wife. They would have celebrated fifteen years of marriage in June if he hadn't walked out ten years earlier. They had met at the DEA, before heading to NCIS. They had fallen in love and in an instant, he proposed and found a church minister to marry them. They were in Paris, undercover and he'd pulled her inside the old church and found it almost empty. He'd managed to have their true identities on them, for this purpose. To be properly married as G. Callen and Alexandra Holden. Not under some alias for some cover. What they had felt for each other was very much real. It was the beginning of summer in the romantic city when they had gotten hitched. He'd posted their real identities and marriage certificate home to Gibbs to take good care of it, while they continued their cover. When Gibbs opened the envelope and found their marriage certificate he'd cracked open a bottle of scotch and celebrated down in his basement with Kate. No one else knew about their romance but them, so they kept it to themselves. All had continued to go well for five years, until Callen took the job at OSP. After that, Gibbs wrote the rule number twelve, never date a coworker. In their case, never marry a coworker. They were the reason he had that rule in place. He didn't want another Callen and Alex to destroy his team.

_A/N: There shouldn't have been any surprises there to discover that Callen and Alex were married. The title of this story gave it away. How hard it must have been for Callen to see his wife on death's door in Ukraine, battered and stripped of all of her closing. Love to hear from you, please leave a review._


	4. Chapter 4

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews and for reading this story. This chapter took itself on the journey, no matter how many times I tried to change this to how I first envisioned it, it decided for itself to head in this direction. Obviously, it's meant to be this way. Enjoy._

**Chapter 4**

**_April 4th, 2014, Nottingham, England…_**

One week turned into three, before the doctor would allow Alexandra to fly home to D.C. She'd come in and out of consciousness for most of that time, but she'd turned the corner a few days into the third week, providing them hope of a full recovery. That's if anyone really could fully recover from what she'd suffered. She faced six months of waiting for further blood results on whether Roman had passed any life threatening diseases onto her. Not that she would want to have sexual relations with any man for a long time to come. In all the ten years her husband had been gone, she had been faithful and never even accepted the many dates offered to her. She was focused on her life and her daughter. Katie was her life and with the support from her parents and siblings, she managed to provide a well grounded and strong family upbringing for her daughter.

It was the subject of Katie that caused tension between Callen and Alex during her stay in the Queen's Medical Centre. When Callen thought Alex was hallucinating, she was actually trying to tell him about their daughter. But he got confused and thought she was trying to tell him about their friend Kate dying. Frustrated, Alex fell back into unconsciousness, her strength waning easily. Eventually, when the fever broke, she became more alert, although she remained very tired. Alex opened her eyes and looked over at the sleeping form of her husband. She laid there watching him twitch and shuffle in his sleep. Then he would mumble something in Russian, causing her to smile. After ten years apart, he was still very much the same man she'd fallen in love with.

"What are you smiling about?" He opened his cerulean eyes and stared back at her paler blue ones. They were a stark contrast to her black raven hair that made her look even more pale in her state of health. But he'd noticed the sparkle return into her eyes and more colour had returned to her skin.

"You. After all of these years, you've not changed." Callen shifted into a more upright position and stretched out his stiff joints.

"I've changed. Well Sam likes to think I have." Alex's visage darkened at the mention of his partner. For a moment she would have preferred it to be just the two of them than talk about anyone else. He leaned forward and took her hand in his, but she pulled it away. "I'm sorry, Ally. For leaving you like I did."

"Are you?" She raised her brows, looking intently over to him. "If I'd known it would have taken for me to go missing to get you to come and see me again, I would have done it years ago."

"You never came to visit me either," he told her in his defence. He stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, careful of her ribs.

"Yes, I did." Anger flared in her blue eyes, surprising him.

He furrowed his brow. "When?"

"When I almost lost you for good. Five bullets to your upper body, three into your chest. I sat beside your bed for five days, holding your hand and praying that you would live…"

"You sat with me when I after I was shot?" Alex nodded.

"While your partner sat out in the hallway, frustrated that he was not allowed to sit with you and he wondered who the hell I was and why I was allowed to sit with you." She remembered the shock on his face when he was shut out of ICU and she was led inside. No one was able to tell him who she was, as she requested. When he managed to corner her on her rare occasions of leaving Callen for some food, she'd told him that she was a ghost and family." "But don't worry, G. I never shamed you and told him that you had deserted your wife who was pregnant with your child."

"What?" Shock spread across his face over the news. "We had a child and you never told me?" Now it was his turn to show his anger.

"Now it's my fault because I never TOLD you? How was I suppose to call you, when you had no home and your new cell number was a secret? You never rang me once to ask why I never followed you to L.A. To your stupid City of Angels. Yet when I was there, sitting by your side, I prayed for you to survive so you could meet our daughter," her voice broke. "I told you five years ago about Katie, but you don't remember. She was four years old then. Cute as a button, daddy's little girl with her blonde hair and your blue eyes. Not like mine, but cerulean like yours, G. Every day I look at her and I see you. The man I loved and have continued to love for every damn day that you've been away since. Who knows why, when you left me to raise Katie alone."

Callen stood and walked over to the window. A tear betrayed him and fell down his cheeks. He quickly wiped it away, angry at himself. Once he had reined in his emotions, he turned and faced her. "Why didn't you follow me to Los Angeles?" It was the one question he'd wanted to know for all of these years. He'd felt abandoned by her, with his history growing up in the welfare system, it had broke him to find that she too had left him. But now he was beginning to doubt his previous thoughts. After what Gibbs had told him, he began to realise that perhaps it was he who had abandoned her.

"I was going to come," Alex replied and took in a ragged breath. "Until your precious Hetty called me and told me not to follow you."

Callen's eyes widened in disbelief. "She what?"

"Hetty told me to stay in D.C., that she didn't want me to join OSP." Anger flared again in her eyes. "That is why she's been kept in the dark about you being brought to D.C. At least I have Leon on my side. Jenny failed me when she allowed Hetty to take you away from us. He agrees that she had no right to split us up. We were a family. No one breaks up families. It's not right."

"Why would she tell you not to come? I don't understand. She's never said a word." He tried to think on the times he'd tried to bring up the subject of Alex and realised that Hetty had diverted the subject very cleverly and never answered him. "I tried to find out when you were coming to join the team. The team was coming together, she'd partnered me with Sam, then Kensi and Mike joined the team." He looked up at her with the realisation that Hetty had deceived him. "Did she tell you why?"

Alex looked away, the pain from Hetty's call still haunted her.

"Alex, please look at me." He saw the tears welled up in her eyes and all his anger towards her dissipated.

"She told me that I wasn't good for you. That she knew who I really was and that there was no way she would allow us to be together again." She furrowed her brow. "I still don't understand what she meant by who I really was? Did she mean that she knew that we were married?"

Callen sat back down on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "I have no idea what she was referring to. But I promise you that I will get to the bottom of this." He tilted her chin up and gently wiped her tears away. "Do you trust me?"

Alex nodded. "Always, G."

**_April 7th, 2014, Los Angeles…_**

The previous week had been another long week in the Office of Special Projects. Sam's mood was testing them all around him and Hetty had had enough. She'd given them all a long weekend off and now sat at her desk alone. She dialled her phone and demanded to speak with Vance. "No, I will not wait, I have tried to speak with the director for the past four weeks and he's not returned any of my calls." She was at boiling point alongside Sam Hanna.

"Hetty, what can I do for you?" He had Gibbs in his office and both men knew that this call was going to be a challenging one.

"What can you do for me? Now you ask me that? Ever since you had Owen pull my team leader away from his duties here in Los Angeles, you have avoided my calls."

"Hetty, we've been extremely busy. And I'm sure with a man down, you are also. I have arranged for a replacement for Agent Callen, until he's able to return to his position at OSP. His name is Special Agent Brian Green and he's coming from the Boston office. Agent Hanna is experienced enough to lead the team in Agent Callen's absence."

Gibbs stood up as Callen and Alex entered the office. Vance had the call on loud speaker, so Gibbs quietly ushered them over to the table to sit. He was pleased to see how much healthier Alex looked from the last time he'd seen her. He hugged her gently, before he allowed her to sit.

"You've what? No, Leon. I choose my own people and I will not have you send just anybody into my team." She scrunched up a piece of paper tight in her hand as she tried to rein in her anger.

"In case you've forgotten, Henrietta, I'm the Director of NCIS. I have the final say. And I am telling you, not asking you if you want Agent Green on your team. He will be arriving later today. Please ask Agent Hanna to pick him up from LAX at seventeen hundred and arrange for some accommodation while he's placed with you." Leon disconnected the call and huffed out a deep breath. "That went well, don't you think?"

Gibbs smirked and nodded. "I think you told her."

Alex looked worriedly over to Vance. "Is that wise to send Green to OSP? You know he's the one who burned me in Donetsk."

"It's good to see you home safe, again, Alexandra. Looking better than Gibbs saw you last, I take it?" Leon sat down opposite her at the large conference table and leaned over towards her. "Alex, this is the best way to keep Green under the radar. He won't be able to sneeze without Hetty knowing. She runs a tight ship. Isn't that right, Agent Callen?"

"Yes, Sir." Callen looked from Alex to Vance and then over to Gibbs. "I'm confused. Why have you sent Green in to be my replacement? Aren't I returning to my position at OSP?"

"Not for now, Agent Callen. I am righting a wrong. I am giving you both a second chance to make your marriage work. To give your daughter a family life with both parents in it. Hell, I know what toll it has had on my own kids with Jackie gone. I don't want any kid to go through what my own have." He looked to Alex. "I think it's time for that undercover operation you had planned a few months back, Alex."

"What operation is that?" Callen asked confused. "I thought you were only doing analyst work for NCIS since you had Katie."

"Agent Callen. Alex has been leading a team since she returned from maternity leave. A team that doesn't exist. If you think OSP is a secret team, well think again. You're famous within the federal agencies, and your location is no longer a secret, thanks to some in house dealings. But the team Alex has been leading doesn't have a name or a base. Only a very few people and now yourself know of their existence.

"That's been my cover, G. I couldn't do this undercover operation without you. We need to be a family for this one. With my cover blown by Green, it's best if I disappear. And thanks to Katya blabbing that I was a mother to the Ukrainians, Katie cannot return to her school, nor us to our old lives. It's no longer safe, so we have to either go into witness protection or move to Santa Barbara for this new operation.

"California's Santa Barbara?" He raised his brow, surprised by what was Vance was offering them.

"Is there any others?" Alex looked over to Gibbs. "Has Owen arrived yet?"

"Yes, he's on route from the airport."

Alex nodded. "Owen Granger will be our handler. He doesn't know anything about where you've been, so he couldn't tell Hetty. But now we need his help on this operation. Your analyst, Nell Jones, I believe she can be trusted to work with Owen on this. They are our only contacts within NCIS. No one else will know who we are or where we're from."

"You're not ready for another operation, and what do you mean by us needing to be a family for this? Isn't this placing Katie at risk, by taking her with us?

A knock on the door indicated that Granger had arrived. "Come in, Owen."

Owen Granger stepped inside and nodded when he saw Callen sitting at the table. His eyes moved to Alex and he knitted his brow, slightly confused. He'd never met the woman who sat beside Callen, but was curious over why he had been called in. He studied her and noticed some cuts healing on the back of her hand and on her face, although she'd done well to cover them up with makeup.

"Owen, please take a seat," Leon suggested. "This is where I need to brief you on something that no one outside this room is to be told, unless I personally read them into this operation."

Owen looked between Callen and Alex, not getting why Callen had been pulled from his post and where he'd been for the past few weeks. And yet the raven beauty had not been introduced to him.

"It's a tough business that we live in, Owen. Sometimes we find ourselves in a world of trusting very few people. My question for you, is, do you trust Henrietta Lange?" Leon studied his assistant director, to see how he was taking the question.

"No," he replied in his usual gruff voice. "That's why you placed me over her in L.A."

Leon smiled. "Well answered. Now, do yo trust Miss Jones?"

Owen nodded. "I do." Callen raised his brows, intrigued over the assistant director's answers.

"Why is it that you don't trust Hetty, but you trust Nell? Hetty's been training Nell for something more. What makes you think that Nell isn't a spy set in place from her?" Callen put forward his question, he needed to be sure that the older man could be trusted.

"Because I placed Nell where she is and she answers to me," Owen replied, meeting Callen's gaze.

"But you didn't come across from the CIA until after Nell arrived at OSP." Callen responded, trying to ascertain what the hell was going on in his office back in Los Angeles.

Owen heaved out a sigh and looked over to Leon. "What does he know?"

"He knows a little. I think it's your turn to tell him your part in all of this." Leon stood up. "I've got a meeting with the President. If you'll excuse me. Alex, take care of your husband, won't you? We want him in one piece when we return him back to his partner."

Alex nodded. "Of course. But you know he's a big boy and he can look after himself." She looked over at a very confused Callen. "Except for when he gets shot in the chest."

"Now I am very confused, would you all please explain what the hell is going on?" Callen raised his voice as frustration took over.

"It's okay, G. Let Owen explain himself." Owen met her gaze and raised one brow slightly amused over the woman before him. She was very much in control of what was going on and appeared to have Callen under the thumb.

"If I may have your name first, before I continue? Just so I know who I am spilling my secrets to."

Alex smiled. "Of course, how rude of me. I'm Alexandra Callen. G's wife. But known in the world of NCIS as Alexandra Holden. I go by my maiden name, seeing very few people know that G and I have been married for almost fifteen years. Yet, Hetty ensured that she separated us, which is why I don't trust her."

"Did she know that you were married?" This was news to him indeed. And he thought he'd kept a close tab on Clara's son.

"She never said, but she did warn me to stay out of Los Angeles and that she knew who I really was and that I wasn't any good for G. Now whether she was implying that she knew we were married, or something else, has been a puzzle to me for the past ten years. Whatever her reason behind it, she's broken up my family and left me to raise our daughter alone."

"You have a daughter?" Owen looked over to Callen, surprised.

"Katie. She's nine years old and needs her father in her life." She turned her gaze over to Callen and saw how confused he was over everything. _Hetty had done a good job on him, drawing him in to trust her. It was time for him to cut his ties with the woman and realise where his responsibilities lay_. Callen hadn't had the opportunity to meet their daughter yet and the whole family reunion had her heart beating heavily in her chest. She looked at her watch and knew that her parents were arriving with Katie soon. "Now, Owen, can you please explain to Callen why Vance placed you as Assistant Director and head over Hetty. We're running out of time."

"Leon was concerned about reports that Hetty had trained young children, who had no family to become trained assassin. To go anywhere and kill for her. Not assigned to the US Government, but to her. They would even move house and city for her and follow her into whatever country she found herself in trouble in and for them to rescue her." He looked at Callen. "Sound familiar, Agent Callen?"

Callen shifted uneasily in his chair, knowing that he had been spot on with his own actions with regards to Hetty. Leaving Alex behind in D.C. was living proof of that and then later on when he'd tried to quit his position at OSP just so he could rescue Hetty from the Comescus. "I see your point."

"Leon asked me to place someone inside OSP and Nell was the perfect fit. She had the skills that would attract Hetty and she caught the bait. She thinks that she is training Nell, but what she doesn't know is that Nell is already a fully fledged field agent, who happens to be amazingly brilliant and also a great analyst. And she answers to me and only me." Owen poured himself a glass of water to swallow.

"How do I know if I can trust you?" Callen felt betrayed from all sides, from Hetty, Nell and Granger. No one appeared to be who they said they were.

"Because I am family," Owen caught Callen's attention. "I am your mother's cousin. Clara and I grew up together, here in D.C. We even joined the CIA together and she was as good as her father. My uncle."

"My grandfather, George Callen, was your uncle?" Callen knew there was more to Granger from that first moment he'd met him, but until now, he hadn't been able to put a finger on it. He was family. His mother's cousin.

"Yes. My mother's older brother. So you see, I've been watching over you and your sister since you were little. But you were a more difficult one to help. Hetty had her eyes set on you. We managed to fake your sister's death and fool Hetty, but she already held control over you. She moved you around to so many foster families so you would never feel like you belonged or were loved by anyone, but her. However, it looks like she failed, because you fell in love with Alex here. And that must have peeved her to no end."

"Amy, she's alive?" Callen's eyes bulged. _Another secret kept from me._ "You know my name?"

Owen nodded. "Yes, Amy is very much alive, living a normal life far away from the sights of Hetty. Once she graduated from College, she moved to Canada and has lived there ever since. She's married with four kids, but misses you. I try to update her on you as much as I can, without Hetty catching on."

Anger surged through Callen's body and fisted his hands. "What is my name?"

"Ah!" Owen ran his hand over his face and looked at his watch. "Well, you see, I was asked not to tell you."

"What do you mean? It's my name, for goodness sake, Granger." He rose from his seat, ready to punch Owen to a pulp for answers. "Do you know what it's like to live your life not knowing who you are?"

"Because he's doing what I asked him to do." Callen spun around and found himself face to face with a man in his sixties, greying throughout his dark head of hair.

"Who are you?" This was not what he expected when he arrived back in D.C. with Alex. He felt like his head was spinning and that he was caught up in the strangest of dreams.

"You don't remember me, moi syn?" The Russian accent slipped from his lips and Callen's eyes widened at the similarities to the film clip he'd watched hundreds of times since it had been found inside of Michael Rhinehart's home.

"Papa?"

Nikita Reznikov nodded his head and tears welled up in his eyes. "Gavrill, moi syn."

Callen stepped forward and hugged his father. Thirty-nine years had been too long for them to be separated. "Gavrill, that is my name?"

Nikita nodded. "Yes, it is."

_A/N: Well that was a shocker of shockers. Who should Callen trust? Love to know what you think, please leave a review._


	5. Chapter 5

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews._

**Chapter 5**

**_April 7th, 2014, Washington D.C…_**

Alex knew that Owen had something important to tell Callen, but she never expected any of this. Leon had been discrete with all that he knew and she respected him for it. But it all made sense to her now, on why he was so ready to support her on her own endeavour to get her husband back. He already suspected something was amiss with the old woman and had taken the move to set Owen Granger over her. And now she discovered that he was family to Callen and he was ready to help her on their next operation. She found herself in a much stronger position than she had expected. She'd expected a fight. A fight with Leon, a fight with Callen and a fight with Owen Granger. But what she found was support. It overwhelmed her and with all that she had been through, she found it too much. She was still very weak compared to her usual self and suddenly found herself emotional.

She stood up to get some air, when she suddenly collapsed. Gibbs moved in and picked her up and laid her on the sofa. Callen moved beside her with concern. "We need a doctor."

Gibbs pulled his cell out and called Ducky. "We need your medical assistance in Leon's office."

Doctor Mallard stopped the autopsy he was in the midst of and handed the reigns over to his assistant, Jimmy. "I'm needed upstairs. You'll have to complete this one on your own."

Jimmy watched his boss and friend grab his medical bag and exit the morgue.

When Ducky entered, he was surprised to find so many people in the room. "My dear, Alexandra, I didn't realise you were here." He moved over to the sofa and studied her for a moment. "What happened?" He looked over at Gibbs and Callen and saw their concern for her.

"She's only just been released from hospital." Callen told him and stood back to allow the doctor room beside her. "She stood up and collapsed."

"I need to be updated on her medical history, to help me treat her." Alex opened her eyes and placed her hand on Ducky's arm.

"I'm okay, Ducky. It just got too much for me." She tried to sit up, but Ducky insisted that she stayed lying down. She looked over at Gibbs. "I need you to brief G and Owen on the operation. We're running out of time. My parents will be here soon with Katie."

Gibbs nodded and ushered the others to the conference room. Callen hesitated, he didn't want to leave her, but Gibbs placed his hand on his shoulder and led him out. "I'm sorry, Mr Reznikov, but this will need to be discussed in private. I know you want time with your son, but this needs to be done."

Nikita looked to his son. "I will wait out in the tea room. When you are ready to see me, Gavrill, I will be waiting for you." He knew as much as Owen had been allowed to tell him about his son over the years and understood the importance of keeping ones government operations secret. But his own country had betrayed him and he was now a political refugee, who spent most of his days living near his daughter in Canada.

Callen nodded, his own emotions were running high. He wanted and needed the time with his father, after so long apart from him. But he also understood that he had a job to do and he continued to worry about Alexandra's health. After three weeks, she was still weak from her ordeal.

Gibbs led Callen and Owen into the conference room. "Owen, there's been a lot going on recently, that requires Callen to take Alex and their daughter into protective custody. We have a mole in our agency whom cannot be trusted. He burned Alex in Donetsk which almost resulted in her death, if it wasn't our old aliases being available to rescue her recently. He will be closely watched in OSP by Hetty, until we have enough to charge him with treason. Hetty knows nothing about our suspicions, only you and Nell Jones will be aware of why Leon has placed him as Callen's replacement, with Sam Hanna staying on as team leader."

Owen looked over to Callen and saw him fist his hands together under the table. He knew that Callen only did this when anger surged through his body. "You just tell me what you want us to do and we'll do it."

Gibbs nodded. "We have another operation that will take Callen and Alex to Santa Barbara. We have a situation of low lying terrorists who have been meeting at a country club up there. Leon has managed to place Callen in as the new manager and he'll keep tabs on these men. He'll report to you on the details and Alex will send in her team in to extract them out of circulation. We don't know how long this operation will go on for, but it's imperative that no one other than yourself and Nell Jones know about Callen and his family's whereabouts. If Green gets wind of Alex being alive, he'll go to any lengths to stop her from talking about his dealings in Donetsk."

Owen nodded. "Not a problem. How will we meet? Hetty might get wind of us communicating."

"Nell has communicated with Kensi while she was with you in Afghanistan, without being caught. We'll use that form of communication, but it will be important for her to keep it out of sight of Eric Beale. We can't have him slipping up. You'll be Callen's father, visiting from time to time."

Callen's head lifted up and he opened his mouth to protest, but from the look Gibbs gave him, he knew it would be futile to argue. I have your new aliases here. Read this and get to know your new profiles." Gibbs handed them a folder each. "I'll see if Alex is okay to join us."

Callen and Owen opened their folders and scanned the notes that Alex had put together, six months earlier. Callen's new alias, Tom Sheers, was the new manager at the Santa Barbara Country Club. He was married to Kelly and they have a nine year old daughter, Phoebe. His father, Lewis, lives in Los Angeles and he visits them as often as possible. The cover was solid and he smiled when he noted Alex's new occupation of a History teacher at the Santa Barbara High School. This was a well tuned operation and he remembered Alex's love of history and he knew that she would be great in this role. Although she would have to wait until September for the new school year to begin, it gave Alex the time that she needed to get her strength back before she was thrown into teaching. They had a four bedroom house in close proximity to the beach, Country Club and schools. It was a second chance for the three of them to be the family that they should have been ten years ago.

He had a lot of catching up to do, not only with Alex, to repair their marriage, but also with Katie. He still had to get his head around the fact that they had a daughter who was already very much her own person. He'd missed so much of her childhood and he was prepared to do whatever it took to make up for the lost time. He just hoped that he didn't screw this up, he doubted if Alex would forgive him a second time. Everything that Owen had told him about Hetty made him realise how much his boss had screwed up his life. He had family out there, but she moved him about way too often, with many of his placements in horrible homes. He'd suffered a great deal of abuse from many violent foster fathers, who should never been given custody of any child, ever. How hadn't he seen it clearly before? He had been the happiest with Alex, yet he'd walked away from her just like that, for Hetty. He shook his head and stood up to pace the room. He stopped in his tracks and looked at Granger. "You knew what she had done, yet you said nothing to me. Why?" He needed to get this out of his system before he met his daughter. He had no idea how he was going to react to meeting Katie for the first time. Part of him wanted to run with them and hide from the evil world he'd worked hard to fight against. The other part of him wanted to confront Hetty and yell at her, although he knew it would do nothing to change the past. He had to acknowledge his part in this too, how he had walked away from his wife and child. He needed to step up and face his own responsibilities and be the husband he promised to Alex almost fifteen years earlier and to be the father that he should have been to his daughter, ten years ago.

"I tried to talk to you, Callen. But it was almost impossible to speak with you alone. Hetty has that mission wired so she knows everything. I don't trust her and we're yet to find out who she really is. This name she's been using for the past fifty years is not her real identity."

Callen raised his brow in surprise. He knew she had many aliases, but to think that Henrietta Lange was not her real name made his muscles tense.

"Nell's been trying to find out who she really is. What country she was born in and where her real allegiance lies."

"Why did she choose me?" He thought back to the conversation Grace Stevens had had with him in the firing range. About the life they led, and how they had nothing in their lives outside the job for Hetty.

"She seemed fixated on your mother, Clara, when we were in the CIA. I'm not sure why, but something makes me suspect that she might have had something to do with your mother's true identity being burned with the Comescus. She was her handler and she never showed up to get the three of you out of Romania." Owen admitted. "It's not just Green whom we need proof of his criminal acts, but we also need proof about what Hetty has been up to. This is why Leon had me come across from the CIA, to protect you. Especially when you ran off to Romania to rescue her. It made him realise just what hold she has on her people." Owen stood and walked over to him.

Callen's body screamed with anger over the past that Owen was telling him. After all that he'd done for Hetty, only to discover that she had failed him. If it was true, what Owen said about her being responsible for his mother's death, then he needed to know more about her too. "She fell for the White Ghost bait, Callen. She was set up and she fell for it. She sent Kensi in because she knew that she wouldn't kill Jack Simons, her ex-fiancé. It was unfortunate that Kensi broke my instructions and ran off to find Jack and was kidnapped."

"Then we almost got killed trying to save her from the Taliban." Owen nodded. "We need to warn the others, about Hetty." Worry for his partner and team mates grew deep within him.

"I'm watching things carefully, Callen. We need to tread very carefully. Leon has a plan that will involve her being brought before Congressman Thomas to answer for her actions. But much more dangerous events are occurring elsewhere, and if we don't act now to keep you and rest of your team safe, Hetty will have you all following her to wherever next she ventures and place you in a situation that will be dire for all of you."

"Where do you think she's from?" Callen furrowed his brow, trying to think over it all.

"My suspicions is Romania. It's the only reason that fits on why she was fixated on your mother. With the family feud between your grandfather and the Comescus, Hetty would have known about this for longer than the rest of us. I also believe that she has alway known about your father's work rescuing people out of Eastern Germany and may have played a part in his arrest in Russia."

Callen shook his head and banged his fist onto the table. "If this is true, then she's the one whose at fault for everything I've endured throughout my life. I don't think I could ever work for her again. I need to know for certain before I see her again."

"We're trying our best, Callen. But it looks like Leon is doing what he can to keep you away from her in the mean time. She's been calling him for the past three weeks and he's not answered any of them."

"Until today." Owen knitted his brow together. "When Alex and I entered, Vance had Hetty on loud speaker. She sounded peeved alright. He's sent Green in to be my replacement." He looked over to the older man. "Make sure Sam and the others are safe from Hetty and Green. I can't be there to protect them."

"I promise you that Nell and I will do everything possible to ensure they remain safe." Callen nodded, thankful to have family around.

_A/N: Who is Hetty really and where do her allegiance lie? Is Owen correct on these details about Hetty, or is he coming up with his own assumptions to make Hetty pay for the death of his dear cousin, Clara? Will Alex be up to this operation so soon after the torture she's endured recently? Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	6. Chapter 6

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Sorry for the delay, life happened._

**Chapter 6**

Ducky had just finished his assessment of Alexandra, when Gibbs entered. He saw the concern in the senior agent's eyes for the younger woman. "She's fine, Gibbs. She's tough, you know that. It'll just take her longer to recover from her injuries." Doctor Donald Mallard's muscles in his stomach had tensed at the information that Alex had provided him with. What she had been through recently had anger surge through him. He hated with a vengeance any man taking advantage of a woman, at the best of times. But what she'd endured had made him livid. How could any man do that to a woman? He'd asked her questions to assess her mental and emotional health, to see if she was ready to go ahead on her next mission. She was strong mentally and emotionally, especially after he realised what she'd put up with over the past ten years. But she could snap at any moment, it happened to the strongest of soldiers. And that was what worried him the most.

"Getting away from here with G and Katie will do us all good. Time to become the family we should have been." She looked between Ducky and Gibbs and knew that they both doubted her for being ready. "I'll have a few months before I have to teach at the local high school, I will be ready by then. It'll give us time to adjust to being a family." She hoped her plan worked. It was what had kept her going for this long.

"Mom?" She looked over as her parents entered with Katie. Her daughter ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her. She cringed with pain from the force of the hug.

"Katie, be gentle with your mom." Gibbs told her, gently. Katie looked concerned over to her mom, releasing her. Her mom had been away for five weeks, the longest since she could remember.

"Mom?" Alex gave her daughter a warm smile, to comfort her.

"I'm okay, sweetheart. My ribs are still sore, that's all." Alex looked over to her parents and saw their eyes glisten from worry for her. "Mom, Dad."

"Sweetheart. We've been worried about you." Her mother, Christine gently wrapped her arms around her. Tears fell after five worrying weeks.

"Gibbs and G rescued me." Oscar Holden's jaw tensed at the mention of his son in law. "No Dad. Please don't get angry. I've explained the circumstances to you before. We're not going to go over it again."

"He deserted you when you needed him the most." Oscar had threatened to hunt his son in law down over the years to make him face his responsibilities as husband and father. But Alex had been quite adamant for him to leave it alone.

Alex shook her head. "He didn't know about Katie. You can't blame him for that."

"You were his wife and still are, as a matter of fact. He should never have left you back then."

"No, I shouldn't have." Oscar turned around and found him face to face with the man of their conversation. Callen stepped forward, ready to face the music. He knew he had let Alex and Katie down. It was time to accept his part in this. It was the only way to move forward. "I can't change the past. But I am here now. For both of them."

"You have a lot of nerve to show your face around here." Oscar stood between his daughter and son in law, ready to give Callen a piece of his own mind. He'd waited ten years for his opportunity.

"He rescued me, Dad. I would be dead if it wasn't for him. He came when I needed him. When it mattered." Alex tried to appease her father and the tense situation between him and her husband.

"It mattered ten years ago, Ally. Damn it. Why can't you acknowledge what he's done to you?" Anger rippled underneath the surface.

"Don't, Dad. I know more than anyone what he's done. If I can forgive him, so can you." Ally stepped around her father and faced him.

Callen looked over and saw his daughter for the first time. He hitched in his breath, looking at the blonde haired, blued eyed girl. Alex was right. She was just like him. Her eyes were as blue as his. Her face shaped just like his. His heart pounded inside his chest from nerves. "Katie." His voice sounded foreign to him. His mouth went dry. Realisation of what he had abandoned, hit him hard. "I'm sorry." A tear streaked down his face, as emotion took hold of him.

Katie furrowed her brow and looked at the man who looked just like her. Matching blue eyes and same shaped face as her own. She'd studied her own features in the mirror many times over the years, trying to figure out what her dad looked like. An old photo of her parents were cut up inside the heart locket that hung on a silver chain that she wore around her neck every day, since she was four. Her mom on the left, her dad on the right. She'd prayed every night for as long as she could remember, for her dad to come home to them. And there he stood, his eyes welled up with tears. He cared, she realised. He really cared about her mother and for her. There was no other explanation in her mind. At nine, she knew a lot, so she thought. But there were a lot she still didn't understand. Like why had her dad left her mom, when she was in her mother's tummy. Her nana had explained to her that her mom had been in trouble and had been rescued by her uncle Jethro and her dad. And here he was, standing a few metres from her. Her prayer had been answered. "Daddy." She took the steps towards her dad and ran into his arms.

Callen wrapped his arms around his daughter. It felt so good to hold his girl. Disbelief that she had welcomed him so easily and that she was his, was evident on his face. "I'm sorry, Katie. I'm sorry I let you and your mom down. But I'm here for you both now. I'm not going anywhere without you." Tears fell down his cheeks, as he finally felt complete. He was reunited with his wife and father, his sister was alive and now he held his daughter in his arms. In such a short time, he'd gone from no family, to more than he could ever wish for.

"She's just like you, moy syn." Callen turned and found his father standing in the doorway beside Owen.

"Daddy?" Katie looked between her dad and this man who spoke with a funny accent.

Callen turned to face his daughter. "Katie, this is my father. Your Dedushka." He saw the confusion on her face. "It's Russian for Grandpa."

She recognised the family resemblance and hugged the older man. She looked over to her poppy, who furrowed his brow at the stranger. "Now I have both of my grandpas with me."

Her smile took Callen's breath away. So beautiful and forgiving. She took his hand and her poppy's. "We're family, Poppy. Please don't be angry with Daddy any more."

How could he refuse his granddaughter? Oscar Holden's heart melted. He nodded. "Okay, Katie. Just for you." Oscar held out his hand and was met with Callen's and they shook. "But I warn you, Callen. If you abandon either of them again, I'll hunt you down and you'll have to answer to me."

Callen nodded. "I expect nothing less from you, Sir." He knew Oscar would follow through on his threat, with him being a former FBI agent himself. Retired from the Bureau for the past fifteen years and now owned his own business, contracting for the government. A man for hire to do whatever they needed him for. Exactly why Callen understood clearly, Oscar's threat. The fact that he'd managed to escape him for the past ten years, attributed to his ability to vanish like a ghost. He doubted he'd be able to, the next time.

**_LAX, Los Angeles…_**

Sam's foul mood tripled after he hung up his cell from Hetty. He'd heard her own frustrations over the call and didn't blame her for his partner being absent. But it didn't waver his anger that rippled under the surface over having to collect his partner's replacement. He huffed out a large sigh as the jazz music blared out the opened windows as he pulled up into a car parking space at LAX. He took another look at the photo of Agent Adam Green, who he was to settle in the apartment that Nell had texted through to him fifteen minutes earlier. Nell was known for being efficient, but he was surprised at how swift she was in arranging the newcomer's accommodation. None of them knew how long Green would be with them, or how long Callen would be away. It was the not knowing that annoyed Sam the most. He had to admit, he missed his partner more than he realised. He'd promised himself that he'd go easier on him on his return. He shook his head and realised that the reason why he was hard on him, was because he cared. Cared about him like a brother, and that admission in itself was a reality wake up for the former Navy SEAL.

Sam stood alone, waiting. He scanned the passengers, as they walked towards the baggage collection point for the flight from Boston. Boston, he mused. Not too far from Brooklyn where he'd grown up. They'd be a great deal of fire between them if he's a Mets fan and not a Red Sox fan, Sam realised. There was too much rivalry between his beloved Yankees and the Mets to cause havoc before he'd drop the guy off at his new apartment. Let's hope the guy moved there from some other part of the country and still followed his home team. He went over the details of Green once more in his head, as he continued to scan the people around him. Medium height and build, thick head of dark hair and green eyes. He'll miss those sky blue eyes before the week was over. Green ain't the clear blue orbs he'd been accustomed to. Hell, he's already missed G since that first day he flew out to D.C. Sam had it bad and he needed to suck it up and welcome his new partner. They'd have to spend a bit of time in the gym sparring, before their next case. He just hoped they got that time. Perhaps today would be a good time. No. Got to let the guy settle in.

"Sam Hanna?" A bleary green eyed, medium build, dark haired man stood in front of him with a raised brow.

"Welcome to L.A., Green. Got all your bags?" Sam studied the younger man. Mid thirties, still got a bit to learn, Sam decided. He'd yet had time to read his file, however, he'd already made his mind up, that Green still needed to watch and learn.

"Yeah, thanks." He allowed Sam to heft his large bag over his shoulder and followed him outside and across to the multi storey car park. When Sam hauled it into the trunk of the black challenger, a smile swept over Green's face. "Now that's travelling in style. Had it long?"

"Long enough." Sam noticed the glint in Green's eyes and knew he had to explain the rules straight away. "Hetty will arrange for your wheels. This girl is mine. When we're out in the field together, you ride shotgun. Got it?"

Sam couldn't wait to drop the guy off and screech off somewhere to vent the steam that would explode out of his body soon enough. He was annoyed that Vance had sent someone over who he'd have to train. Sure, he was a trained agent. But the guy needed to understand the way Sam worked and for them to get along and be dependable with each other, so he needed to be upfront. It wasn't Green's fault that he'd lost his partner, so why did he feel the need to be so harsh with him? He took in a deep breath and decided to be more civil. "So, Green. What do I need to know about you, before I trust you to have my back?"

_Callen narrowly avoided his dues from his father in law, Oscar, and it was evident on his face, just how much he regretted leaving D.C. ten years earlier. He's finally met his daughter, whose welcomed him into her life so easily. Let's hope time will help them become the family that they should have been from the start. But things aren't looking up for Sam. He has a new partner and is missing his old one terribly. Will he survive the time with Green? Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	7. Chapter 7

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. This chapter will provide some background on Alexandra, before they head off on their next operation. Thanks for your patience. This chapter is important to help you to connect the dots, further down the track in this story._

**Chapter 7**

Alex knew it was going to be tough to lie to her parents. She'd done it for the past eight years, when she'd told them that she was working as an analyst at NCIS. But now she knew that she had to tell them another lie. That they were going into witness protection, not on another operation and taking Katie with them. Her father knew what life as a federal agent was like and he'd studied her closely over the years, when she came and asked them to look after Katie for a few days or a week, while she went away for work. She was good at lying, her job required it of her.

But her parents knew her well, her father the best out of anyone. She was just like him. Thought like him, behaved in the same way, in the same situation. They were close. Very close, like many father-daughter relationships. Well, the good ones, anyway. From the moment Alexandra came into their lives, she'd melted Oscar's heart and they'd forged a solid bond from the word go. Everyone commented over the years just how much like her father she was. She couldn't have been more his daughter, even if she was their biological daughter. And that was the interesting part of it all. They had no blood ties and only a very few knew the truth. That Christine and Oscar had adopted her. They took her into their family when she was only ten months old. She'd been left alone after her mother's body was found lifeless and bloodied, on the bed in their two bedroom apartment.

It was Oscar who had found her and fell in love with the dark haired, blue eyed baby. Her eyes bulged out from her face, enhancing her petite features of her button nose and sweet rose coloured lips. Her chubby cheeks were red from crying and she had just learned to stand up on her own two chubby legs. It was Oscar who soothed her and took her home. No family came forward and by the time Alexandra turned two, she was officially theirs. Her name and that of her mother's was all that they knew. They had found her birth certificate in her mother's name, but no name had been provided for her father. But that didn't matter to Christine and Oscar. Alexandra was theirs. And she had slotted into the Holden's family life as if she belonged there from the word go. Her siblings came along after her, so they had no idea that she was adopted. For her protection, they kept it a secret, incase her father came looking for her. They had no idea who he was and if he even knew about her. The FBI suspected that it may have been him who killed her mother. But they'd never found her killer.

Oscar was determined from early on to train Alexandra to protect herself. From a young age, she had karate lessons and excelled. As she grew, more and more hand to hand combat training was given until she was old enough to hold a gun in her hand and shoot. Alex was twelve when her father first took her to a firing range. Before then, she'd been educated on the responsibility of holding a gun. The damage it could do and how easily things could go wrong if the weapon was not respected. She could dissemble a gun, clean it and put it back together again by age eleven. She was good. Real good, Oscar noted. She could have gone on to represent the country and won gold at the Olympic Games, had they allowed her. But they needed to keep her safe. So he kept his focus on training her, so she could protect herself. And it had worked. She was forty years old and had survived a great deal of challenging moments. Not that Oscar knew of any of them. But he had trained her to be the best of the best. Which earned her the position to lead her secret team within NCIS.

Until recently. Anger bubbled under the surface over the danger that had almost resulted in his daughter's death. After three and a half weeks, she was still weak and in no fit state to protect herself. She was in a situation beyond escaping on her own. But she had a back up plan and now, for the first time, Oscar was listening to his daughter explain to him how it wasn't safe for her and Katie to remain in her home city. Washington D.C. had been her home ever since he brought her home to be his daughter. Yet, he was impressed over the strength she displayed when she spoke with him and his wife of forty-two years. She was in control. And every thing she had told them over the past eight years, since she had returned to work after having Katie, made him doubt every word. This was the control of a woman with leadership behind her. Not something recently earned. But something she had for a real long time. He was well aware of her time as a field agent, stationed from the Navy Yard in the past. And he had been so proud of her. Although disappointed that she hadn't followed him into the Bureau, he was still proud of what she had achieved. Top of her class at FLETC and chose NCIS after her stints with each of the agencies, in her final year.

It was where she met G. Callen, her husband. He had admired her choice in a husband, although he and his wife were annoyed at first for them eloping in Paris. But they supported her just the same. They had done what they had set out to do. Love her and provide a loving family environment to grow up in and help shape her into the amazing woman that she'd become. A silent hero, working for their government. Protecting others and seeking justice for those who couldn't be saved. They'd been there for her when Callen left D.C. for Los Angeles and when she told them that she was pregnant. They helped her raise Katie so she could return to work, when Katie was eighteen months old. When she was four, they helped her with Katie, so she could fly to Los Angeles to sit at her husband's bedside, after he had been shot five times. And now, five years on from that moment, he was back in their lives and regretful of abandoning Alex and the child he never knew. He heard the regret in his voice. The acceptance of his actions and the consequences of them. The determination was their written on his face, to make up for his biggest mistake of his life. To walk away.

Director Vance had given them a second chance. A new life as a family, in a new city, with new names and past. Without them. Alex's words rung through his ears as fog settled in his brain at the news.

"Dad?" Tears poured down Christine's face as she held onto Alexandra's hand.

Oscar looked to his wife and then to his daughter. He furrowed his brow for a moment, as he took the time for the news to sink in. "No. We're coming with you."

"You can't. It'll be just the three of us. No one can know who we are or where we're from. You have to stay here for Oliver and Samantha. They need you to be in their lives still. To be there for their children." It hurt her to tell them. She knew she was going to miss them terribly. And her brother and sister. Oliver and Samantha were twins, three years younger than her, but the three of them had always been close. They were a close family and did everything together.

"Whose going to keep an eye out for you?" Oscar was well attuned to the life of those who went into the witness protection program.

"It will be kept in house, in NCIS. Owen Granger will be our point of contact. He'll come to visit us regularly, as Callen's father. He'll be able to get to us easily enough and he'll have a team ready to come to our aide, if we get into trouble." She kept from him the part about her own team being around. They didn't exist, so she couldn't reveal their part in this. Or the operation that Callen would be involved in, although it will be for intel only on Callen's part. Her's would be a little more involved. Not that Callen had been read in on that part of the operation. Because one day, his team could be called to their aide, if her own team weren't available. The plan was set in place. Just in case. But with Green burning her in the Ukraine, it brought a whole other set of complications with it. They had a plan within a plan, to arrest these low lying terrorists, take them down, one by one and then draw in the agency's mole. She was certain it was Green. If Green hasn't been arrested by then from the proof Nell or Hetty had found, she needed to be prepared to face her demon head on and end him. At the risk that Callen's team might shoot her to protect him, unaware who she is and why she would attack Green. That's why Callen was needed. To have her back. To protect her and to be her husband again. She'd gone over the plan in her head numerous times, over the past six months. More so, more recently, now that her life was in danger as herself, from Green. Her time in the Ukraine complicated the operation and the risk of Green meeting her in Santa Barbara was high. She had to put her trust in those around her to ensure she and her daughter were safe. Callen would do what it took to protect them. That she knew. Granger too, now she knew that he was family.

"You're not going into the FBI's witness program?" Oscar shook his head. "No, Alexandra. You know the drill. The Bureau is the agency who deals with situations like this. I can call a friend and set it up immediately. You'll be safer this way." Fear flashed in his eyes for his girl.

"Dad. It's okay. Director Vance has the best people working on this. The fewer the better. The FBI's witness protection program would be the first place they will look to find us. There's a mole within NCIS who burned me. Someone I knew from years ago told the rebels in Donetsk that I worked for NCIS. I was there to support Daniel's mom, in a hostile part of the world. We should have come home after our two weeks planned trip. If word gets out about Katie and I going into the witness protection program, I'll be in more danger than if I stayed at home. No. I will have people around me I know and trust. G will protect us. And you did an amazing job training me, Dad. Please, you've got to let us go." It was her plan and she needed her dad to accept it.

**"**We're going to miss you, Ally. You and Katie. Please send word to us now and then how you're going." He wrapped his arms gently around his daughter. It pained him to see her so fragile, although she tried hard to hide it from him.

"We're going to miss you all too." Tears fell down her face as she held onto her parents.

Their departure was a difficult one for all of them. There were tears pouring down Alex and Katie's faces as they said their goodbyes to her parents and Gibbs. Callen found it difficult to say goodbye to his father, after such a short time with him. They'd had an hour to talk before they had to leave and it wasn't anywhere long enough for either of them. Thirty-nine years apart and all they got was an hour together. Thankfully, Owen stepped in and told them that he would be happy to pass messages on between them. He'd lost his chance in flying to Canada to see his sister and spend time with them. But he had to step up and be there for Alex and Katie. Responsibilities he'd walked out on ten years earlier and he needed to prove to Alex and Katie that he was here for them now.

_A/N: I hope this helps you along the way for where this story will be heading. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	8. Chapter 8

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews._

**Chapter 8**

**_Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles…_**

Green had surprised Sam in more ways than one. The guy was keen to work with him in the gym rather than settle into his one bedroom apartment. They'd dropped his large bag off and collected his keys from the manager and continued on to the mission. He was impressed by their secret location and scanned around the outside, before following Sam in through the carved wooden doors. Spanish influence was strong in California and he should have known it would be like this. Not some stuffy building like they had on the east coast, but airy with style. He'd heard rumours about this unit and he knew they were led by the infamous Henrietta Lange. He also knew it was time to rein in his adventurous side while he was there and behave. He had more work he needed to complete. His sudden transfer gave him the ability to vanish for a while and dig deeper within a much tougher unit within the agency. If he could work this right, he'd be up for promotion and earn those millions promised to him.

The building appeared vacant when they entered and he was shown to his temporary desk. The word temporary was emphasised from his new and temporary partner, who was much of a mystery as the man he was filling in for. Sam never mentioned his partner's name even when he asked him. It was as if the man never existed. Perhaps that was why this unit kept it's mystery. They were tight lipped about anything and everything. He'd have to be clever and keep his cards close to his chest. Parker, his boss, had said very little on the detail about his new position, but he was pleased to have the chance to head west. He needed the break from his usual dealings, especially after the recent events. He still hadn't heard through the usual channels with regards to one fellow agent, Alexandra Holden. It was a shame he had to burn her like he had in Donetsk. She was a beauty, but his own life was at risk. Green stood on the mat and faced his rather large opponent.

Sam was ready to wrestle. The tension from his anger over his absent partner was knotted tight in his shoulders. He needed the release. Green stepped forward for attack. Sam was pleased with his move and defended himself well. He knew all of his old partner's tactics before he even made them. He could read Callen's mind, watch his eyes and knew what move he would make next. It was what made them so good as partners out in the field. They could read each other's intent. They had tried to get this important detail out to Deeks recently. "You need to know our intent," Callen had told him. Deeks stood mouth wide open in shock. He was well aware of the ability the senior members of the team had to read each other's mind, but when the plan changes, he likes to be told, not expected to read their intent. But now, Sam had to learn again. Train again. Green and him to be able to read each other and convince the other, that they could be trusted to have their back.

They worked for an hour. Sweat beading down their temples and backs. There'd been some moments when Sam outsmarted Green, but Green was a quick learner and never made the same mistake twice. By the time Henrietta Lange entered the gym, they were partners. Two strangers who had learned their partner's dance in battle. She stood there with her hands folded out front as she studied them. She was impressed to see them work it out so quickly. Nell had forwarded Green's file onto her and she was impressed with his history. Although there were some sketchy details that had been redacted and she wished she could find out more about the man. Leon Vance had remained tight lip on why he chose Green to replace her team leader and how long Callen would be gone for. She hated being left in the dark when it concerned her agents.

But she had so much already causing a headache. The White Ghost debacle refused to go away and Owen had warned her that there would be consequences for sending Kensi to Afghanistan and not anyone else. She had her reasons. She had to keep Jack Simon safe. She knew the politics inside the CIA and knew that there was no such thing as the White Ghost. It was created to give Langley the right to have Jack terminated, just because he knew too many of their targets and remained living in the middle eastern country. He had become a risk, when they should have trusted him that he would never betray his country. Jack had finally found peace from the PTSD that he suffered after fighting for his country in the middle east.

"I see that the two of you haven't wasted a moment." Sam and Green stopped and looked over at the petite woman. "Welcome to the Office of Special Projects, Mr Green. My name is Henrietta Lange, but everyone calls me Hetty. I'm the Operations Manager here and I give the orders."

"Thank you, Hetty." He gave her a warm smile and nodded over to her. But the warm smile didn't reach his eyes and Hetty being Hetty, took note of that fact. She needed information on this new member of her team. Leon taking away the control of her having a say in Green being here had her on edge. She would question Owen once he returned, from wherever he'd vanished to. She'd tried to trace him, but he'd gone dark. The man was as good as her team leader at becoming a ghost. But she was prepared for the unexpected, so she would be ready for whatever came her way.

"When you're finished, I have some paperwork I need for you to fill in. Mr Hanna will direct you to my office." She left them be, Sam remained quiet and she knew it was his way to hold in his own frustration over the matter. She had the matter of trying to find her boy, who, for five and a half weeks had vanished from the face of the earth. She knew he was safe for now, because Leon had assured her of that fact. But what he needed her boy for and why it had been kept from her, still very much remained a mystery. She would have to get her Technical Operator and Intelligence Analyst onto delving into the matter once they returned to the office on the following day.

She sat with a fresh pot of Oolong tea and opened up her red laptop. She looked over the security footage of Callen's house, which remained vacant. He'd not returned home since he'd left for Washington and the fact was, she missed him. Missed his cheekiness and that caring side of him, when he worried about her. She sighed and let out a long breath. "Where are you, Mr Callen? What are you doing?"

**_The Following Day…_**

Deeks rolled his r's as he emphasised his point to his partner, as he strolled into the mission. "Rrrreally, Kensilina." He was retelling her a funny thing he'd seen at the beach early that morning, on his habitual surfing venture. He and Eric would meet up regularly at odd spots along the coast, just so no one could predict their movements. Ever since he'd been shot at a convenience store after a run, he'd become smart in ensuring that no one could use him as a weak link to get to the team again. Or to him. "You can ask Eric. He was there."

"Ask me what?" Eric whizzed in through the door, rushing to get into Ops before Nell. The waves had been perfect for surfing that morning and he was behind his usual arrival time.

"About the guy with his dog doing tricks on his board." Deeks explained.

"Oh yeah. That was totally cool. But I think his board was a stand up paddle board, so he could do far more than the rest of us with our surf boards." Eric added.

"We should try SUPing sometime. Take the girls out." Deeks told his surfing partner. "You interested, Kens?"

"Yeah sure. Sounds great. As long as it's on flat water. Not sure how us girls will go SUPing on waves." She'd tried surfing a few times with Deeks, but she was still only a beginner, compared to Deeks and Eric. But SUPing sounded fun. "I'm sure Nell would love to come too." She could imagine the four of them going out on SUPs and enjoying a day off.

The three of them halted in their steps as they spotted a stranger sitting at Callen's desk, his head in a laptop. They shared glances and their eyes widened at the intruder. Warning bells rang through Kensi's mind back to when Dom had gone missing and Deeks came to fill in for a bit. Sam didn't take it well to him sitting at Dom's desk and she worried how their friend and colleague would deal with someone else sitting in Callen's seat. It had been vacated for five and a half weeks. It brought back memories to when Callen was recovering for two months after being shot. But it was different back then. They knew where he was and why he wasn't with them. They had moved buildings, just in case Callen's shooting meant that the office had been compromised. Macey had been transferred and Hetty came into being the Operations Manager. Change. Everything changed, when Callen got shot. A shiver ran down Kensi's spine with worry.

Sam walked passed them and dropped his bag down by his desk. "Morning." He opened his laptop up and sat in his chair. Marty Deeks went to say something, but Kensi gripped his arm with her hand, to stop him. Eric took the opportunity and bolted upstairs. "Something wrong?" Sam looked up at them with a raised brow.

"I….um…" Deeks struggled to answer him.

"Morning, Sam." Adam Green lifted his head and realised that he had company.

"Morning. Sleep well?" Sam relaxed back in his chair, knowing exactly what had the junior members of the team stuck at the entry to the bull pen.

"Yeah, not bad. Woke up east coast time, but." He looked over at the couple standing by Sam's desk. He rose from the chair and held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Adam Green. Sam's temporary partner, until his usual partner returns."

Kensi elbowed Deeks who held his hand out to shake it. Kensi held back, unsure of this "temp". She remembered Sam calling Deeks their temp and look how long he stayed. He never left. She couldn't contemplate the mission permanently without Callen. She moved to her desk and sat down, keeping her distance from Green. Eric whistled from the top of the stairs and they all headed for Ops.

"You coming, Green?" Sam stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking back to their temp. He had a bemused look on his face, from their response to Eric's whistling. He followed Sam up the stairs and his eyes widened at the tech filled room.

"Now you're all here, I like to introduce you to Mr Green. He's filling in as Sam's partner for a while." Green noticed that no one mentioned the name of the agent he was filling in for, once again. Curiosity grew within him over who exactly he was replacing. "Mr Beale?"

The be-speckled geek, as Green nicknamed him, wore shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. He began with the team brief and before long, Green was focused like the other agents on their new case. Nothing big, like he was expecting, seeing how secret this unit was within NCIS. It had a reputation among other agencies of not to be reckoned with. The case involved a trip south to Pendleton with Sam, while Hansel and Gretel went to visit with a relative of the dead marine. A simple case, open and shut.

Boy was he wrong. Adam Green had been working for NCIS since he left FLETC and had moved around from various offices around the country. He'd worked on overseas operations and had made contacts with terrorists and mafia from around eastern Europe. But he was not prepared for the Mexican Drug Cartels. He realised the importance of such a highly classified and trained unit on the West Coast. They infiltrated the marines, bringing in high amounts of drugs into the country, who bordered their country. They were sent there to protect their borders, not to help the cartels shift their drugs across the border. After days of lying in the red dirt outside the Rios Cartel's compound, they'd gone in as a black op and managed to destroy their drugs and kill a few loyal men along the way. Then they went off after the dirty marines, whom they followed back into the U.S. They were as crooked as he was, he realised and another venture crossed his mind. But he halted that thought when he walked into the mission alongside a battered and bruised Sam Hanna.

Sam had gone in as a marine and found the men who had betrayed their country. He'd gotten into a fight and was relieved when Green showed up for backup, but only a moment sooner than Kensi and Deeks. Callen would have come in much earlier and fought along side him. But not Green. He waited until after Sam had fought his way out of being surrounded by five marines who'd gone rotten like an apple. He'd suffered bruises on his arms, chest, back and legs, his lip was swollen and he held a bag of frozen peas to it. He wasn't happy one bit. Green had failed him. If he wasn't tough and big built like he was, he'd be in emergency down in San Diego, being patched up and unavailable for work for the rest of the week.

But Green had problems of his own. He had to take down three guys who were much larger than himself, before he could enter to provide back up. But that didn't appear to be good enough for Sam. He'd brooded the whole journey back to Los Angeles, wishing for his old partner back. He'd explained the situation to Sam, in hope he'd accept his reason for not getting to him earlier.

Sam stopped in the hallway and turned to face him. "I need to know you'll be there for me, when I need you, Green. To know my intent and go with any changes as I see fit." He huffed and cringed as he slowly slipped into his chair.

Hetty looked over with concern at Sam's appearance. They'd watched it all unfold on the large screen and knew that Green had failed Sam. He was used to a partner who worked seamlessly beside him. Sam would have to make adjustments to the way he worked, now that he had a new partner. No matter how temporary he was. Both agents had to make adjustments for their partnership to work.

_A/N: Off to a rough start. The rest of the team were shocked and speechless over Callen's replacement. Sam is brooding again, not pleased with his temporary partner. Let's hope Hetty can find a way to make Sam and Green work together as partners, before one of them gets hurt. Especially Sam. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	9. Chapter 9

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. _

**Chapter 9**

**_Office of Special Projects, the following week…_**

Owen Granger entered the Spanish style mission in his usual gruff mood. He used it to hide his true feelings and for the past thirty-nine years since he'd lost his cousin, Clara, it had worked. Usually it was to hide his grief for Clara and the pain over the result her death had had on her children. Thankfully, he'd managed to fake Amy's death and hid her far from the CIA and from Henrietta Lange's grasps. But he was still peeved over the injustice of Clara's son, Gavrill. He had no opportunity to tell him the truth, until a week ago.

Last Monday had been a huge day for all of them. The day of secrets being revealed and of family reunions. Although only brief for Nikita to be with his son, at least they'd had that hour together. He would continue to pass information on to Nikita about him and now he could pass messages between father and son. Today, his gruff mood hid his happiness. That Gavrill knew who he was and that he had been given a second chance with his wife and the time to get to know his daughter. Katie was so much like Amy at that age and it softened him towards the senior agent. He was after all family.

"Where on God's green earth have you been, Owen?" Henrietta Lange looked up from the file on her desk. She'd been reading more information that Eric had been able to find for her on Adam Green. So far, the information was sporadic and she felt that there was a great deal more about her new agent that was being kept from her. She'd tried to pull out the information from Vance, but he'd been tight lip about Green as well. She could smell a rotten fish a mile away and Green was obviously rotten. She pursed her lips as she pondered over why Leon had sent this particular agent her way.

"You missed me?" He shoved his hands into his pockets and remained standing across from her.

Hetty narrowed her eyes and studied the man before her. He was a closed book and it annoyed her that she couldn't read him. "You have no idea." She sat back in her chair. "Or do you?" She watched Owen sit down, but he still didn't reveal a thing.

"About what?" He sat nonchalantly as if life at OSP was going on at it's usual pace.

Hetty raised her brows. "Where shall I start? You've been away for a week, Owen. And for someone who likes to keep a close watch over us here at OSP, you've been away a great deal of late."

"Your team is not the only group of agents I need to deal with, Henrietta. You know I have a lot on my plate. What have I missed?"

She took in a deep breath and steadied her annoyance. "Are you aware that Leon has sent in a replacement for Mr Callen?"

"I am." He kept his answer short.

"And this doesn't bother you?"

"No. Should it? This happens all the time. Why would this be any different?" He knew exactly what the problem was, with what details he'd been given on Green. But that didn't mean he was about to spill all to the Operations Manager.

She huffed. "Firstly, his heart isn't in the job. He comes up with a sloppy performance out in the field which almost cost Mr Hanna severe injuries, if he wasn't capable of defending himself so well."

Owen furrowed his brow. "What happened to Sam?" His concern for Callen's partner slipped out. The family owed him so much for keeping his partner safe. Callen was alive today, thanks to the former Navy SEAL. He owed it to Sam and to Callen to ensure that Green being there, didn't cause injury or death to him.

"Oh, so we matter to you now, Owen." Hetty replied, sarcastically.

"Of course you all matter. You're not the only one who takes those under their care, seriously and personally." He sat back and reined in his emotions. He needed to keep his feelings close to his chest. He'd come too far now, to let it slip.

"Green was late to the party. Sam had to fight off five rotten marines, who'd been caught dealing with the Rios Cartel. He failed in ensuring that he had his partner's back. It's a good thing that Sam is a well built and well trained Navy SEAL and agent." Hetty leaned over her desk and lowered her voice. "Why is Green here, Owen?"

Owen sighed. He knew it wouldn't take the woman long to work out that there was a valid reason for Green being there. "You are well known amongst the agencies to be feared, Hetty. And that you run a extremely tight ship and keep a careful watch over your people, on and off the clock. Why do you think Green is here?"

"So you need me to keep a close eye on him, is that it?" Hetty's eyes widened as her mind ticked over.

"Not me, Henrietta. Leon." He shrugged. "No idea what's the story there, I found out myself last week, when I was requested in D.C. by our Director." It was part truth, seeing up until he arrived in the nation's capitol, he was clueless. He only left out the details that he'd been filled in by Leon Vance and Leroy Jethro Gibbs, exactly what Green had done to Alex and why he was in OSP.

"Do you know why Vance requires our Mr Callen for so long? And how long exactly are we to survive without our team leader?" She wanted desperately to say, her boy. But he was very much a man now and she really had no right to him. Yet she found herself struggling to cut her ties with the boy she'd tried hard to keep safe all of those years ago. He'd worked himself inside her heart and she loved him like a son.

"From what I gather," he chose his words carefully, "is that Leon needed him for a secret mission. No one outside the mission and Leon, know anything about it." He kept her gaze, not wavering once and he was pleased inwardly on his achievement. What he told her was the absolute truth. What he kept from her, was that he was in that mission, as Tom Sheer's father. He'd agreed to help out for this operation for Clara, giving Callen a chance at a normal life, the most he'd have as an agent. Time to get close to his wife again and be the father he should have been to Katie, ten years ago. From what he'd witnessed over the past week, Katie and Callen were doing fine. It was Alex with whom he was worried about. She'd put on a strong front, but she was struggling. Restless in her sleep and still very much weakened from her injuries. But they would soon heal. It was the nightmares and the emotional toll of her trauma that would be the hardest for her to endure. Even for the toughest of agents, what she'd been through was inhumane. Callen still struggled to talk about the state he and Gibbs had found her in. It was necessary for all three of them to go through counselling and Nate had been called in to help them. But so far, none of them were talking, which Nate wasn't surprised about. Gibbs and Callen were well known for avoiding what affected them the most, in the past. But Vance insisted and Owen knew that Gibbs and Callen were protecting Alex by keeping quiet. Until Alex was ready to face her trauma head on and talk about it, there would be no way that either man would talk.

"Humph! You know I don't like being kept in the dark, Owen. And Vance is avoiding most of my calls. But I will keep a close eye on Green and keep you in the loop, although I feel like I've been kept out of the loop with regards to Green and Mr Callen.

He didn't miss the fact that Hetty refused to call Adam Green, Mr Green, like she did with her agents. It showed him just how much she disliked the new agent under her care. "So what are you going to do with Green, seeing he's obviously not up to OSP standards?"

A wicked smile graced her lips. "Now you're talking, Owen. I've devised a plan of action to bring Green up to OSP standards. He's currently at the gun range with Miss Blye, improving on his shooting skills. All non-urgent cases have been passed onto other teams, while this team train Green ready for their next big case. Sam needs to know that he can depend on Green to have his back. Then he'll work one on one with Mr Deeks at wrestling and boxing, then back to Mr Hanna for one on one combat fighting. Then, he'll face myself, in fencing and ancient martial arts. Green won't know what's hit him."

Owen smiled, pleased to hear of Hetty's plan. "Add me into the program. I would like to test him out for myself. See exactly how he's managed to get this far in NCIS."

"Exactly in what purpose shall I put you down for, Owen?" She sat with her hands held in a prayer position and one brow slightly raised. He saw the hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Interrogation. I'd like to see how he holds up, if he gets caught by an enemy. We've got OSP and our people to protect, after all." A smirk graced his lips and for a moment, Hetty narrowed her eyes. The smirk looked familiar, but she couldn't place why.

"Perfect. I'll put you down for this afternoon, after he's worn out from his combat fighting with Sam. Sam's using those Zap knives. I'll be watching from my office." Her grin broadened across her face.

Granger stood and nodded to the woman whom he'd known for most of the time he'd been an agent. They'd worked many cases together in the CIA, and not once had she made him concerned for his own safety, except for the time she tried to poison him. Hmm! The woman was definitely a riddle. "Hetty." He wandered off and found Sam up on the landing, exerting all of his frustrations on the sand bag. He preferred to be away from Green for a long as possible. He sat on the bench seat and watched Sam's rhythm. The man had a good rhythm and put all his weight behind all of his punches. "Hetty'll need to buy a new sandbag at this rate, Sam."

Sam stopped at the sound of their Assistant Director and glared brown eyes into brown. "Where's my partner?" He knew that if anyone knew, Granger would.

"He's safe. Misses you." Owen uncrossed his arms and stretched them out onto his knees. "He wanted me to tell you that. Doesn't want you worrying about him. He's worrying enough for both of you, about you."

Sam sat on the opposite end of the bench seat and unstrapped his gloves. He wiped the sweat that beaded on his forehead with a small towel. "You've seen him?"

"I have. But that is only for you to know, Sam." He lowered his voice, he knew Hetty had the place bugged, but while Callen was there, he was good at locating them and disarming them. He was paranoid as it was.

Sam thought over Granger's words. "He's safe?"

"Yes, he is." Sam nodded.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." He was silent for a moment as he thought. "Do you know how long he'll be gone?"

"No." Sam could see it in Owen's eyes that he didn't, but he also saw that whatever it was that had his partner taken away, it wouldn't be for a quick operation.

He sighed and pulled the last glove from off his hand. "His replacement is driving me crazy."

"Hetty updated me. She said you were injured last week. How bad?" Owen fisted his hands on his knees, as anger over Green not being there for Sam surged through him.

"Bad enough. But don't tell G. He'll only worry more." Sam sighed. "Let's just say, I need my partner back sooner rather than later."

"I wish I could do that for you, but I can't. This one's above my pay grade."

"That secret, huh?"

"Yes." Owen wished he could have told him more, but it wasn't safe to say anything more than he had, with Hetty's eyes and ears in that place, it was too much of a risk.

_A/N: Poor Sam. He's missing G badly and has had enough of his temporary replacement. Let's hope all the training Hetty has installed improves Green's skills or wears him out so he can't get up to tricks. It's going to be a long absence for the team, while Callen's away. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	10. Chapter 10

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. _

**Chapter 10**

**_Boat Shed, five hours later…_**

Adam Green sat opposite NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger in one of the interrogation rooms. Although this was the second time Green had visited the boat shed since joining the team, he was well aware what this location was used for: interrogating witnesses and suspects. Every muscle in his body was screaming after his combat fighting with Sam, those Zap knives hurt like being electrocuted, when attacked. He thought his wrestling and boxing with Deeks was hard, but he should have known that his previous sparring with his new partner, had Sam being easy on him. He'd let Sam down out in the field and now he was paying the consequence for his failure.

Green studied the older man, whose hairline had receded back quite considerably and his face was weathered from many operations in harsh winters and burning deserts. He appeared lean, less bulky than Deeks and especially less than Sam, who was built like a fortress and had only just finished his session experiencing first hand his ability from those well build arms and legs of his. He knew who he Granger was, as Owen had visited the Boston office over the years, since moving to NCIS. But before now, he hadn't had such close contact with him.

"What is your name?" Owen sat nonchalantly across the table from Green, his brown eyes caught Green's grey eyes.

"Adam Green." Green had no idea what was going on, so he was honest in his answers.

"Fail." Owen stood up and leaned over the table. "If you get caught by an enemy, Green, you better improve on your agent skills. It's not just your life that hangs in the balance here, but that of your team and other agents out in the field." Owen sat back down in the chair. "Let's start again."

"What is your name?"

"Stuart Bromich."

"Make me believe you when you lie, Green. I don't believe you. Who are you?"

"I'm Mick, a cafe owner in Venice."

"Mick who?"

"Brown. Mick Brown."

"What's the name of the cafe?"

"Mick's." Green's lips curled slightly up to the sides from humour.

"Wrong." Owen stood up, annoyed. This guy was a smart aleck and he would play around with him, not understanding the seriousness of it. "Let's start again."

"We'll commune again, this time tomorrow. You better prepare for next time. You've not only got yourself killed, but your family and your team." Owen gave up after an hour. Green was failing miserably. But Granger had expected him to fail. He could see the training was taking a toll on the younger man and on the inside, Owen Granger was smiling broadly. But on the outside, Granger appeared his usual gruff self.

Much of the rest of the week went along the same way as Monday had. Green became worse in his shooting, wrestling, boxing, combat fighting, fencing and marital arts against Hetty. As Green stood opposite the petite Operations Manager he felt like a small boy, being reprimanded for doing the wrong thing in school. Hetty on the other hand stood stoic opposite the newest member of the team and felt like Yoda, training young Anikan Skywalker, knowing he'd turn bad in the end. But in this case, as Hetty suspected, he'd already gone bad. Yet, she wasn't afraid of Green. He appeared to be no threat to her team, who'd proven to be far superior in their skills against Green, and inwardly she smiled. Proud of her people, her family.

She met him in the middle of the mat, Green appeared not to be bothered about Hetty's ability, until she threw him onto the mat and pinned him down till after the countdown. No matter what he tried, Hetty swiftly moved him onto the floor into the most awkward and painful position each time. Muscles he never knew he had screamed out to him in pain. He wanted to go home. This was the worst week in his career that he could think of. How was he going to continue working there, if this is how they treated him? He was relieved when Friday came and went and the weekend arrived.

He took the time to relax. He went out clubbing that night and drunk his sorrows in beer and hard liquor. He picked up a brunette and went with her to her home. He didn't realise just how much aggression had boiled up inside of him, until he found himself with someone weaker than him. Sandy laid on the mattress underneath him with fear in her eyes when he held her throat too tight. Images of the beatings he'd endured from training that week flashed before his eyes. _I'll prove to them I'm no weakling._ But before he could stop himself, Sandy lay lifeless underneath him. He lay beside her in his drunken state and fell asleep.

The sun peered through the open window and brought reality with it. The woman, Sandy, was dead and he had killed her. Anger that he'd had trouble to control over the years had caught up with him. He had a crime scene to clean up. He found disposable gloves in the cupboard under the kitchen sink and found bleach in the bathroom. He gently placed Sandy's body into the bath and filled it up with water, destroying any evidence of him from her. He washed the bedding and removed all fingerprints that he might have left around the place, especially door handles and door frames. He was well attuned to crime scenes from the hundreds he'd worked as a Federal Agent. But this was not meant to have happened. Now he had two women's lives in his hands. Alexandra Holden and Sandy's. He was cracking up and he knew he needed to sort himself out. Satisfied that he had cleaned the crime scene up and mopped the floor and remade the bed as if no one hadn't slept in it the night before. He wasn't sure how long it would be before anyone would come looking for Sandy, so he knew he needed to act fast and get out of there, without anyone seeing him or cameras picking up on him being anywhere near the place.

He'd found the best route out of there, jumped a few fences, before finding his car, still at the club from the night before. He hopped in and drove it away. He needed a new car, but with it being a work one, he needed to get into the mission and swap it. _Car trouble. That's what he'd come up with as an excuse._ He rang Nell.

"Hi, Nell. Sorry to bother you on the weekend. I'm having car trouble. Can I swap it for another? You can organise a pick up truck to collect the car and get me back to the mission? Thanks." He'd heard the wind in the background and supposed she was at the beach.

Nell hung up and furrowed her brow. She opened her tablet that she carried around with her and clocked into the computer system at Ops. She typed in a request for a pick up truck to collect Green and his vehicle in Culver City and for a new car to be issued to him until this vehicle was back in working order.

"What's up, Nell?" Deeks noticed that something was bothering her.

"Um, nothing. Not sure, actually. Just got to arrange for a new vehicle for Green. He says he's broken down." Deeks nodded.

"He rang you on the weekend? He needs to get a life and a new job." Deeks shook his head, thinking at how someone like Green could be called a Federal Agent, when he was terrible at the job. He was a detective and a good one at that. He'd had a few teething issues, but nothing like Green. Deeks was more seasoned than Green and they must be around the same age, he supposed.

Nell typed in the vehicle particulars and found Green's movements from the evening before. The camera feeds that she found had her eyes wide opened. _What are you up to, Green?_ She saved the images from the video feeds and emailed them onto Granger, knowing that he would want to see what she had found. Her brow quirked up into an arch, as she watched Green walk back to his vehicle suspiciously. _Where did you go with the brunette?_ She typed in the particulars of the woman's vehicle and her drivers licence came up on the screen. She typed in the address and found cameras in the vicinity. She searched for the early hours and noticed Green went into the woman's house with the brunette, but only Green exited out the back door. _Why are you going that way?_ Her gut clenched tight and she made a phone call.

"Assistant Director. I think we have a problem."

"Miss Jones, what is it?" Owen sat on the balcony of his home with his wife, Melinda, sipping ice tea. Spring had come in summer bursts, which wasn't unusual for southern California. He stood up and walked into the house. Work wasn't for his wife to worry about.

"It's Green. He's asked for a different vehicle. Said he's had car trouble. I've issued for a pick up truck to pick him up in Culver City and to be taken to the mission to pick up his replacement vehicle. But I had a gut feeling. So I've found camera footage from last night of his movements. He went to a club, Maleficent and left with a brunette. A Sandra Duncan. I found her address and found Green enter her house with her, early hours this morning. He left, there's no sign of the woman. He's acting weird."

"In what way?" Owen Granger collected his car keys and knew it was going to be a long day.

"He left by the back door and jumped over fences. I've managed to break into neighbouring security cameras and caught him. He's acting too suspicious."

"Give me the address, Nell. I'll drive by and see if Miss Duncan is okay. You're right, he's acting very strange."

Owen Granger drove over to Gardena and found the address that Nell had provided him with. He walked up the path and rang the door bell. After ten minutes of no one answering and checking the windows, he called Nell back.

"I can't see anyone here. Do you have a cell number for the woman?"

Nell quickly brought the details up on her screen. "Yes, I do." She passed on the number and left Granger to call the woman. She looked up and laughed, watching Kensi and Deeks paddle boarding on the same board with a paddle each. She was sure Deeks was determined to make Kensi fall off and get her very wet. Her sudden concern over Sandra Duncan left her as she watched Deeks succeed in his aim of doing just as she thought.

"Deeks. I swear, if you do that to me again, I'm going to feed you to the sharks."

Nell's cell rang and she sighed as she saw Granger's number. "You were right to be concerned. LAPD arrived. We've entered the property after no answer on her cell. We found her body floating in the bath." Granger tensed the muscles in his arms. "From what you've found, we have proof that he killed her. But there's no proof at the crime scene. He's wiped the place clean. We need to tread very carefully, Nell. You obtained evidence by breaking into neighbouring security systems that we can't use in a court of law. We'll keep it quiet for now, but we'll get LAPD to release her suspicious death on Monday, as if he's in the clear. We can't be seen to be spying on him. The safety of the team is imperative. We still need to find out about his dealings with the European terrorists that Alex reported to Vance, when she saw him in Ukraine back in February." He heard laughter and the sound of the wind in the background. "Are you out, Nell?"

"Yes, I'm at the beach with Beale, Kensi and Deeks."

"Don't mention this to them and enjoy your time at the beach. But we need to get onto Green's connections fast, before he kills again."

"Agreed, Sir." She disconnected the call, but felt sick in the stomach. Her gut instinct from her training served her well. "Trust your training." Callen's words rung in her head and she missed the team leader more than before. "We miss you Callen. Please come home soon," she whispered to herself.

_A/N: Good on Nell, she's one well trained agent. But only Granger knows just how much. Not good on the Green front. Failing his training and taking his anger out on someone weaker. He is weak, not admirable like the team. Love to know your thoughts. Please leave a review._


	11. Chapter 11

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. _

**Chapter 11**

**_OSP, Los Angeles, April 21, 2014…_**

The news of the dead woman found by LAPD blared over the car stereo on their way into work and it had Kensi tense over the situation. Reports that she had been seen clubbing at Maleficent on Friday night, had Kensi worrying about the times she'd been clubbing there alone and picked up a guy. A woman thinks she's safe if she goes to her place, rather than the guy's. But not in this case. Deeks noticed the concern in her eyes as they entered the mission.

A shrill of a whistle caught their attention, not allowing them to settle in at their desks. Sam and Green followed them up the stairs, the latter pleased to be getting on with a case, rather than his training. His body was still struggling to recover from the week before. He'd spent the remainder of the weekend at his apartment, hiding.

A bloodied body of a marine laid sprawled on the large screen in Ops, sending shivers down the agents' spines. No matter how many times they saw images of dead bodies, they never got numb to it. They only tried to block it out and deal with the case until after they'd found the guilty villain and brought justice for the victim.

Kensi wished as she listened to Eric and Nell deliver the details of the case to them, that they were working another case, although she knew that it was in LAPD's jurisdiction. Her name was Sandra Duncan and it was engraved on Kensi's brain. She'd seen a photo plastered on her television screen as she ate breakfast and suddenly lost her appetite. How much like her, she thought. _It could have been me._ Little did she know that her killer stood beside her in Ops, ready to work along side their team, to solve the suspicious death of a marine.

This case started a chain reaction of serious cases that came their way. Weekends were cut short over the next couple of weeks and neither of them got much of a break, lowering the team's spirits. Sam became a closed book to Green and the rest of the team and he vanished each night as soon as he was free to go. Time with his family was precious to him and he'd refused to allow Green in to know about them. It was a good thing, Hetty mused, especially after the hint Owen had dropped her. She needed her team leader back and after requesting for his return numerous times from Vance, she found herself being called to D.C. to face a panel of congressional investigators to answer for the White Ghost debacle. This was not the time for her to leave her people, while she had Green to watch over carefully. Thankfully for her, Nell and Owen ensured her that they would take good care of the team and watch Green like a hawk.

**_Santa Barbara, June 12th, 2014…_**

Callen laid awake on the sofa in the living room, thinking. It was now June, and summer was upon them. He hadn't seen his partner or the rest of the team since he left them, back in March. He'd settled into his new role as manager at the Santa Barbara Country Club, but he missed Sam. He was used to having Sam being near by and having his back, although he knew his current role was low risk. He had his sights on the low lying terrorists, some had already made their presence known at the Country Club and he'd captured their image on the button camera placed on his polo shirt, which was fed back to Alex. She gathered the information from the microphones Callen had planted in the area that these men preferred to meet in and passed the detail onto her team.

Alex. The love of his life, laid asleep upstairs in the master bedroom. Slowly she was healing and getting stronger every day. But he still worried about her. Images from the state he'd found her in flashed across his face, adding to his insomnia. Guilt grew within him on how he'd left D.C. without her. If only he had waited for her to come with him, then they could have confronted Hetty face on, then she would have had to accept them together. He rose from the sofa and looked out at the early morning light. The sun was hinting to peep over the mountains into another glorious day. Soon, Ally and Katie would be up and they would have breakfast together. It had become a family ritual and he loved it. They would walk to the beach and enjoy the early morning before he had to head off to work and Katie to school. Today was her last day until the last week of August and he looked forward to spending more time with her, without homework and school projects as a distraction. He had a great deal to be thankful for, although Ally still kept him at a distance. Though he wasn't surprised at that. He'd deserved it after walking out on her ten years earlier. He also knew it wasn't just that, but a consequence of what she'd suffered in Donetsk.

Give her time, he told himself. It had only been nine weeks for them living as a family and she still had another three months before she would know if she was medically cleared. And then there was the emotional healing. He knew that would take a long time. She had put up a strong front for her parents, back in D.C. and for Katie, but he saw the shadows darken under her eyes. He heard her toss and turn and shout out in her sleep, when he stood on the other side of the bedroom door listening. And he also heard her cry. It was her crying that got to him the most. He stood on the other side of the door contemplating whether to enter and console her, or to leave her alone. So far he'd taken the safe option and gave her the space, after all, she had asked him to. But he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand back and do nothing.

**_Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles…_**

Adam Green had never worked so hard in all of his life. Working at OSP gave him no time to come up with plans to make money, like he had with his European contacts. But at least he'd not been caught for Sandy's death. It had been an accident, he was too drunk to realise what he had done to her, until he was sober the next morning. He discovered just how hard the agents trained, compared to what he had to do back east in Boston. Unless there was an urgent case, he was to spend his time training. Firing his weapon in the gun range, sparring with Sam, Kensi and Deeks, boxing on the machine and martial art training with Hetty. The woman was a mystery to him. He tried to read her, but she was good at hiding her thoughts from him. Her petite size and age had him thinking she would be an easy opponent. Until he faced her. No, he realised. She was the master. He felt like Daniel in Karate Kid and she was the marital arts master.

Owen Granger waltzed into the bull pen. "Green. Time for your interrogation." He stared at Green, who hesitated in his action to follow the Assistant Director. Once he was certain he would follow, he headed out of the mission for the boat shed.

Green entered the interrogation room prepared this time. He'd had a few months to create an alias that would have Granger eating out of his hands.

"Name." Owen sat back in the metal chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Paul Wallingford."

"Date of birth."

"January, 21st, 1978." So he was going to make himself a year older, Owen mused.

"Who do you work for?"

"A local gym. I'm a personal trainer." Owen stared him down and saw the conviction in Green's eyes. So he let him pass. This time.

He pulled out images of a woman and laid them down on the table. "Who is she?"

Green furrowed his brow. He knew the woman. He'd dated her for three years but she'd dumped him after he had cheated on her. "How did you get these photos?"

"Fail." Owen stood up. "When are you going to get the severity of this training into your thick skull, Green. Yeah, you've polished your identity, but you failed on her. You're not suppose to acknowledge that you recognise her."

"It was a shock. I had no idea that you would go through my personal history for this."

"This may be training to you, Green, but out there, it's the real world."

"Let's try again." Green asked him. "Okay, I get where you're coming from. Let's do it again."

"Tomorrow. Work on it, Green. And I mean work on it." Owen stood up and left him alone in the boat shed to think hard.

**_Boat Shed, June 13th, 2014…._**

Green was nervous as he entered the boat shed. Why did today, of all days, have to be Friday the 13th? He'd practised with images of people he knew. Colleagues, friends and family. He was ready, but still, he was superstitious.

Owen sat on the edge of the table and laid out photos. Owen made the first move in the game of chess, only Green had no idea about what game he was playing. Photos this time were of terrorists from Europe, whom research concluded that he had dealings with them over the years. He studied Green who appeared to hold in his breath and tried hard to steady his hands and feet, to prevent revealling anything. He controlled his breathing and met Owen's gaze.

"Who are these men?" Owen pointed to one in particular that caught Green's attention. It was a man named Roman Basara, a Ukrainian national, who was a matter of interest for the United States of America. The man, Green had burned Alex's identity to. He had a lot to answer for. He had yet to start on Alex and the Duncan woman. He'd get to them later. One piece at a time. Draw it out, make him stew. It was Owen's favourite form of torture.

"I have no idea. Never seen him before." Green looked worried that this man had been pointed to. The others, he wasn't so worried about. But Roman Basara was the worst of the worst, that he had ever dealt with in Europe.

Owen merely raised his brow and shrugged. "Okay. What about this one then?" This time he pointed to a Russian, a Slavik Holendar. A well known arms dealer who reports reveal that he's got his hands on US weapons. A concern for the US government and the CIA have people on the ground trying to find out how. Owen has his own theories and the man sitting before him had the answers.

Green shrugged his shoulders, but he slightly creased his forehead between his brows, indicating to Owen that he was lying. _Another mystery solved,_ Owen mused. Then he brought out a photo of Sam. A flash of anger flared in Green's eyes that concerned Granger.

"Never seen him."

"Liar. You got angry when you saw his image. Why?"

Green wielded a story as to why he hated Sam, whose name he'd lied about and called him Ben Wyatt. A weight lifter who came into the gym each week with an attitude. Owen nodded and he was impressed at how quickly Green was able to turn it around to a believable story, credible with the alias he'd provided him with the day before."

"Getting better, Green. That's all for today." Owen watched Green leave and looked up at the screen. On the other end, sat Nell, observing the habits of Green throughout the interrogation. Green may have improved on his lying, but his body language revealed a great deal more. They would give it a rest for now, wait until he was relaxed, thinking the interrogation sessions were over, before he tried again.

_A/N: Callen is wavering on how to help Alex. But he's struggling to stand back for much longer. Green thinks he's escaped the consequences of the past, but Owen has a plan of his own. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	12. Chapter 12

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Time to find out more about what's been going on with Hetty._

**Chapter 12**

**_Office of Special Projects, September 2, 2014…_**

The past few months had been the most challenging for the old spy and suddenly she felt her age. So much had happened of late. From losing her team leader and being kept out of the loop on what was going on with regards to his whereabouts, and his replacement being rotten and causing friction amongst the team. Then she was dragged to D.C. to be questioned over the White Ghost debacle and having the DOJ invade her office was enough to cause concern. On top of that, armed men invaded one of her properties and she lost her long term friend, Duke. The news shook her to the core and fear for the rest of her team led her to leave D.C. as quickly as possible. Only to discover that Nell, her young and an untrained agent, went in undercover to Dovecoat as her and she's killed her first person, in defence. Hetty knew who it was that was after her. Someone she thought she would never see again, especially after the threat Callen and Sam had laid heavily onto him from his last visit. But he was back in Los Angeles, paid a great deal of money for the addresses of her properties and then he tried to kidnap her and take her to Russia. Anger surged through her over everything that had happened. How could this be happening? A mole. Vance told her she had a mole in her midst. Is this why her team leader was away working on something so secret that she was left out of the loop?

Matthias Draeger. He stood in her secret mission, wielding a gun in his hand, threatening her to come out and go peacefully with him to Russia. Huh! The man had balls. She'd give him credit for that. But he was a stupid man. Never smart enough to outwit her. The look on his face, when he found himself surrounded by her team of agents who had her back. Even without Mr Callen, she felt safe having her children around her. Except for Green that was, although Vance ensured her that he wasn't the mole. The mole had been in her midst for longer than when Green had been with them and back in D.C. she wondered if there was anyone that she could still trust. She studied them all closely, but now they had come to her aide and she relaxed a little.

Life went back to normal for another few weeks before disaster struck again. Owen totalled his car and it was discovered that he had been poisoned. The paranoia returned for Hetty, causing her to shut down the mission, locking her people inside, because the mole was hurting them again. A scream caught their attention and a woman's body laid on the floor of the fax room. Helen, their HR Manager. Suspicions ran high with those who had the ability, were locked inside the armoury, while Kensi and Deeks tried to find the mole, once and for good. But the mole came prepared. He held Eric Beale, the lad who couldn't hurt anyone except in a computer game, was held captive. But he was bright and he worked well along side his partner, Nell, providing clues to their whereabouts in the old water treatment plant. Sam and Green came through the back, while Deeks and Kensi found a way out of the armoury and captured the mole. Carl, the new tech guy. He'd been with the team for six months, but he shut up tight and refused to speak. So they still had no idea who was after them. But Hetty had her suspicions, especially after Matthias' visit.

Nell stepped up into her office and cleared her voice. "Is it okay for me to take off early for the weekend, Hetty? I've got plans to visit my brother up north."

Hetty smiled at the younger woman. "Of course, Nell. Enjoy your time."

"Thanks, Hetty. See you on Monday." She bounced her way out the doors to the car park. She spotted Sam climbing into his car and she knew that it was now or never. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey, Nell. What's up?" He looked over to the petite Intelligence Analyst with a smile.

"I need a favour, actually. I'm suppose to up the coast to visit my brother, but my car is in at the mechanics for repairs. Could you give me a lift, please?" She smiled sweetly over to him, hoping he'll accept her request.

"Yeah, sure, Nell."

She ran around the car and jumped in. "Thanks, Sam. I really appreciate it."

"I had no idea you had a brother and that he lived so close. What's the address, I'll enter it into the GPS?"

Nell shook her head. "No GPS. In fact I need you to drive around the corner and pull over. We need to switch off our cells and the GPS in your car."

Sam narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but did as she requested. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, Nell?"

Nell pulled out a bug locator from her large tote bag and scanned the vehicle. Satisfied they were in the clear, she turned and faced him. "We need to drive the most round about way to Santa Barbara, so no one follows us."

"That's where your brother lives?" Sam was still confused over why Nell was being so mysterious.

"Not my brother, Sam. Yours." Sam's eyes widened and a broad smile graced his lips.

"G?"

"Tom. He misses you. Granger was supposed to visit this weekend, but with him being poisoned, I need to go. I thought I could bring you along for the ride."

"That's the name he's going by? Won't us turning up ruin his cover?"

Nell shook her head. "No. I'll go in as Julia Sheers. Tom's kid sister. You're my new man."

Sam raised his brows and chuckled. "You're good, Nell. Does Hetty know what you and Granger are up to?"

She shook her head. "She can't either."

"She misses G just as much as I do. You sure?"

"Very sure."

"So can you tell me anything about why he was called to D.C. so urgently six months ago?"

"He and Gibbs had to reactivate old aliases to rescue a fellow agent, whom they used to work with. She was burned in Donetsk by Green."

Sam screeched on his brakes and his eyes flared with anger. "Why is Green with us, Nell?"

"We need proof of his dealings with terrorists in Europe. We're getting somewhere. He thinks Granger's been training him with the interrogation, but they were recorded and I used heat sensor software for the interrogations. We know for certain that he knows the man who Callen and Gibbs had to trade useless microchips for the agent." Nell sighed and looked out the window. "Green is bad news, but we needed him under Hetty's thumb, while we get the proof to arrest him. He also killed that woman a while back, the one who had been out at the club, Maleficent. But you can't tell Callen about it. He'll flip and come back to L.A. and kill him."

Anger rippled through Sam's body at the news. "Why hasn't Green been arrested? Why would G do that? Who is this agent that he had to rescue? Nell…"

"I can't tell you that, Sam. You have to trust me. Okay? But with Green, the evidence we procured originally was illegal. I broke into neighbouring security cameras and caught Green leaving her place through the back. It was my gut instinct that suspected Green was up to something when he asked for a pick up truck and a new vehicle. He'd only been with us for two weeks and we knew that there was nothing wrong with his car. Granger went to the address I traced him to and after the woman didn't respond to calls to her cell or the doorbell, Granger called LAPD and they found her body. We've managed to get the evidence legally since, but LAPD have agreed to wait on it, until we have all that we need with regards to his dealings in Europe. Especially for what he did to a fellow Federal Agent."

Sam nodded. "So why are you telling me these things?"

"Because of what happened to Granger, I need an ally."

"You trust Granger, but Hetty can't know? I don't understand?"

"Granger is family to Callen. Cousin to his mother. There's a great deal more going on that I can't say, but it's important that Hetty doesn't find out about where Callen is. We've worked too hard to keep this a secret from her."

Sam took in a deep breath and slowly released it. "Granger never told G, did he?"

She shook her head. "Not until after he returned from rescuing the agent. It's best if Callen tells you the rest."

Sam nodded and focused on driving so they weren't followed. A thrumming of adrenaline flooded his system. He was going to see his partner again after six months and his mood improved, although there still was a lot of questions he needed answering. He would ask G and hopefully his partner and brother, as Nell referred to him as, wouldn't stonewall him this time.

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Sam pulled up outside the address Nell gave him and he observed the tidy garden and lush lawn. The two storey wooden house was painted a sandy colour with white trimmings, much similar to his own back in Los Angeles. So this is where his partner was hiding out. But why?

He followed Nell up the garden path to the front door. Before Nell could even press on the buzzer, the door flung open and the man on the other side smiled broadly. "I wondered when my kid sister would come and visit us. Hi Julie. I see you brought your new man with you. Hi, I'm Tom. Welcome to our home."

Sam shook his hand, studying him. Obviously undercover, the dark blond hair had been darkened considerably and his vivid blue eyes were now brown. "Hey." He followed his partner inside and stopped in his tracks when he spotted a young girl a little older than his own daughter, Kamran.

Katie looked over to her father at their visitors. "Dad?"

Nell stood beside Sam, their eyes fixed on the girl. Her facial features were familiar to them both. Her usually fair hair had also been darkened and but her eyes were still the cerulean blue. She only wore the coloured contacts when she went out somewhere, but she gave her eyes a break and became Katie again, when she was home.

"It's okay, sweetheart. These are some friends of mine." Callen looked back to his partner and Nell. "Sam, Nell. I'd like you to meet my daughter, Katie."

Sam's heart softened towards his partner. He was a dad just like him. He smiled over to the girl. "Hi, Katie. I'm Sam. I have a daughter too. Her name is Kamram. She'd love to meet you, some day."

"I know. Dad told me about her. We've bought her birthday present already, so we could send it back with Grandpa." Her face furrowed for a moment. "Where is Grandpa?"

Callen looked over to Nell for an explanation. "Katie's right. Owen was supposed to come this weekend. Is everything okay?"

Nell shook her head. "No. He's in hospital. I knew he was supposed to come, so I came instead and managed to get Sam to drive me."

"What happened?" He slightly tilted his head, his brow raised with concern.

"Is there somewhere where we can talk in private?" Sam asked him and he nodded, leading him into the study.

Nell sat down next to Katie. "So how are you liking your new school?"

"It's okay. I have a couple of new friends, but I mostly miss my old friends. I like having Dad living with us the best. And I'm still getting used to my new name, Phoebe. Mum and Dad still call me Katie at home, but when a friend comes over, I have to pretend to be Phoebe. So I don't invite friends over much."

"You know, just because you have a new name, doesn't mean that you have to be any different from being Katie. What kind of things did you like doing back in D.C.?"

Katie relaxed and enjoyed talking to Nell about her old life. Being able to talk about it to Nell helped her relax and they ended up having a great time playing a game of UNO, while they were alone.

_A/N: I hope this chapter has helped fill in the gaps with the goings on with Hetty, but as you would know, it's been in canon with the show. Good on Nell to take over whilst Granger's recovering from the poisoning and for persuading Sam to go with her. Now it's time for Sam to be read in on the goings on in Callen's life and be there for him, if he needs him. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	13. Chapter 13

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. This will be my last chapter for a few weeks, as I'm going on holidays. A Sam and Callen chapter._

**Chapter 13**

**_Santa Barbara…._**

Callen rested himself slightly on the edge of the desk and looked over to his partner. "I've missed you, Sam. It's so good to see you. You look well."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, G. Your replacement is doing all our heads in. Nell's just filled me in on why he's at OSP. How long are you going to be up here? The team miss you. Hetty misses you." He noticed Callen became tense at the mention of their Operations Manager. "Is there something I'm missing?"

"A great deal, Sam. What happened to Granger?"

"We had a mole in OSP, a new tech guy, he started just after you left. He poisoned Granger until he lost control of his car and was a little crazy in hospital. His blood works came back with the results of the poisoning. Some poisonous plant, the tech guy grew in the garage at Helen's."

"The HR Manager?" Sam nodded. Callen noticed the sadness in Sam's eyes. "What is it, Sam?"

"He killed Helen. Then he took Beale hostage, but we managed to corner him, rescued Eric and arrested him. Something big is going on, G. Matthias returned and tried to kidnap Hetty to take her to Russia. Someone wants her. The old cold war has returned. Even Arkady is nervous."

Callen shook his head. He was worried about Sam and his team, but for a completely different reason. Never had he envisioned all of the things Sam was telling him. "I wish I could be there to help, but I can't."

"Why didn't you ever tell me you had a daughter?" Sam watched numerous emotions flash over Callen's face. It was unusual for him to witness this, as Callen was usually a blank canvas, hiding his emotions.

Callen looked over at him and met his gaze. "I never knew. I only found out earlier this year." Sadness entered his eyes. "I failed big time, Sam. I left Alex for L.A. I shouldn't have gone without her. She was supposed to follow me, but I had no idea that Hetty called her and told her not to come." Anger replaced the sadness, resulting in Sam to furrow his brow.

"Whose's Alex, G?"

"My wife. Real wife. We used to work together in D.C. with Gibbs and Kate. We became a family, all four of us. Alex and I, well you know how it goes, Sam. Get too close. We were on an operation in Paris and we decided to get married with our real names. We posted the marriage certificate and our real identities back to Gibbs for safe keeping, until we returned. I had what I always wanted." He shook his head, annoyed with himself. "Then I threw it away. Hetty offered me a place in OSP with undercover work. Deep undercover. It was what I was born to do. So I accepted on the proviso that Alex came too. I flew out in time to work with you, and then Kensi and Renko joined the team. I asked Hetty about Alex, but she," he fisted his hands together, "deflected the conversation." He looked back up at Sam. "I thought Alex had abandoned me. Only to discover, it was I who abandoned her. I had no idea she was pregnant with Katie." He sighed out heavily.

"Alex was the agent burned by Green, wasn't she?" Callen stood up and paced the room. "That's why Vance wanted you urgently in D.C. To rescue her. Nell told me. I'm sorry, G. I had no idea. But what I don't understand is why are you hiding up here under aliases?"

"Green can't know that it was Gibbs and I who rescued her and that she is still alive. Green thinks she's dead. It's best he thinks that. Her life will be in danger if Green knew. She's a witness to his dealings with Roman Basara, a Ukrainian. Weapon trading and not just with him. Green has been making a great deal of money on the side."

"He's a bastard, you know. He's not that good of an agent. Non of us can understand how he managed to become an agent. Hetty arranged a massive training for him and we've been putting him through his paces, but no one likes him." Sam caught Callen's arm and stopped his pacing. "Is that why you're here, taking care of Alex and Katie, hiding from Green?"

"Kind of. What happened to Alex in Donetsk…" Callen's body tensed and his eyes welled up. His voice was barely a whisper. "Roman starved her and r…she was barely alive when we got to her. It almost killed me to see her like that. It took three weeks for her to be well enough to fly back to D.C. It took her four months before she would even allow me to hold her. To comfort her. It was the hardest thing to do, stand there and watch the emotional toll deprive her of the happiness she deserves and not be able to do anything for her to make things better. The restless nights from her nightmares. Hell, even I have nightmares from it and I wasn't the victim. Nate's tried to get the three of us to talk about it, but Gibbs and I, we won't talk about it. Not until she's ready." His voice became louder as anger raged within him. "I wanted to kill Roman and Green, you know. With my bare hand. Torture them and kill them slowly for what they did to her."

"I'd want to do the same if it had happened to Michelle, G. I get it. I want to go back to L.A. and strangle the guy myself." Sam wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. "I'm here for you, G. For you and your family. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."

It was a moment of weakness for Callen, but he needed it. He broke in his partner's arms. He'd been strong for Alex for six months, but he needed someone to talk to. Sam arriving like he did, gave Callen the support he needed. He took in a ragged breath and pulled away from Sam. "Thanks, Sam."

"No worries, G. You were there for me when we had the Sidorov problem. That's what brothers do for each other." He held his shoulder with a firm grip.

"The plan is that we've gone into witness protection, but we're also undercover watching underlying terrorists who have been meeting at the Country Club up here. I gather the intel, but that's all. Another team come in and take them out, one by one. I can't tell you anymore than that, it's pretty low key, boring stuff. But Vance wanted to give us a second chance of being a family."

"Hetty doesn't like Alex?" Sam pondered over the conversation he'd been having with Callen.

"Alex has no idea why either. Told her that she knew who she was and that she's no good for me. And that she would do everything in her power to keep us apart." Callen shook his head and gripped the lamp stand firmly in his hand. "She's the love of my life, Sam. She makes me a better person. She wanted me back. It was her backup plan when she went to Donetsk, for Gibbs and I to rescue her if her trip went south."

"What was she doing in Donetsk? It's been too risky to have any agents in there."

"A mom at school is from there. Her mother died, and happened to be telling Alex about her trip home. She asked Vance if she could go and check out what was really going on in there. He approved the plan. But she saw Green there. We met him years ago and never liked him. He tried to get onto our team, but Gibbs refused his request. He hired Kate instead. Green was dealing something with Roman Basara. And intel has revealed that he deals with weapon trading and girls. So we traded some dodgy microchips that only worked until we initiated them to go corrupt. We made sure we had Alex safe with us, first." His emotions got the better of him and he had to take a break.

"I'm sorry, G. For Hetty ruining the best thing in your life and for what Green did to Alex." Callen nodded and sat down on the chair. He rubbed his hand through his hair that had grown longer since he'd left L.A. "Is Alex around?" Sam was eager to meet her.

"She's upstairs resting. She's still recovering from the ordeal. She's had a few busy days starting her new job as a History teacher at the local High School." A smile crept onto Callen's face. "She's always loved history. She's qualified too, you know. To teach the subject. All the way up to University level, if she wanted to. She's highly regarded in her field. It's a great alias for her."

"But really, she's an agent, like us."

Callen looked up and shook his head. "No. Not quite. Even more secret than OSP. A team that doesn't exist, only Vance knows about them and she deals with him directly. They're the king of ghosts. This operation I'm working on, she needed me for it, before the Donetsk situation. It only delayed it. It required a family to go undercover and she wanted me back. For herself and for Katie. She said it was time to fight for what was hers. But she doesn't want Hetty to know about it. And Vance agreed. Then Granger was asked to be our handler." Callen took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked up at his partner and a smile appeared. "I met my father, Sam. Granger, he brought him to the Navy Yard. I know my name."

Sam's face brightened. "That's great, G. So tell me, what's Nikita like and what does the G stand for?"

Callen smirked. "An older version of me. Same blue eyes and shaped face." He wiped his face with his hand. "Any guesses?"

"No way. After all this time, you're having me guess? If it's Russian, I'll have no idea." Sam chuckled. "Gabrielle. Gunther. George, Gregori?"

"Gavrill." Callen's face reddened. It was still new to him.

"Gavrill?" Sam raised his brow and studied him. "Hmm! Yeah. I can see you as a Gav. You know that's what we'll have to call you. Leave off the Russian part. Help you fit in better."

Callen raised one brow. "Oh, is that so? Well I might just demand everyone to call me by Gavrill, you know. Seeing I've lost thirty-nine years of being Gavrill Reznikov."

"We could always call you Rill instead," Sam teased.

"And we could call you muel," Callen smirked. He had missed this banter between the two of them.

Sam chuckled. "Okay, G, you got me. Gav it is." He nodded. "I approve. I'm glad you found him, G."

"Me too. But I only had an hour with him. He's been living in Canada with Amy. Oh, yeah, she's alive too, much to Hetty's dismay, I bet." His voice went bitter over the situation.

"What do you mean, G? Hetty would be thrilled that she's alive. This is great news." Sam looked over to him with confusion.

"Granger said that they had to fake her death to keep her hidden from the CIA and from Hetty. I have so many questions for her, Sam. Why she moved me around the foster system so much? Thirty-seven homes is too many for any foster kid."

"I agree with you, G. That is a lot of homes to be moved around, growing up. But didn't she tell you that it was to keep you safe from the Comescus? She did fly over to Prague to tell them that you were dead, to keep you safe. For your mom's sake. Isn't that what she told you?"

Callen thought about it for a moment. "I know, Sam. She's been the one constant in my life, growing up. I thought she was the only one who cared about me. But the truth is, she kept me hidden from my family. They couldn't find me. I missed out on living my life with my family for all of those years. That's why Granger came across to NCIS. To keep a closer watch to make sure she didn't leave the reservation again and to make sure we didn't follow her again." He heaved out a sigh. "And she took me away from my wife and daughter. That is something I am struggling with the most, you know. I'd accepted my fate as a kid in the system. I survived. But I allowed her to ruin the happiness I had finally found with Alex. A family of my own. Vance is keeping me away from Hetty for now. They're doing their own investigation into who she really is. Henrietta Lange is not her real name, Sam. They need to know who she is, where her allegiance lies. You have to agree, she's got a bit of a history of taking kids and turning them into agents. Who are loyal to only her. We handed our badges in for her, Sam. What were we thinking?"

"What any of us would do for the other, G. I'm sure Hetty's had a damn good reason for hiding you. I'm sure if you asked her, she'd give you the answers that you need."

"She's kept so much from me over the years, I don't know if I trust her." His admission hung in the air as they both became quiet.

"She is good at keeping things from us, I'll agree with you on that. But she loves you, G. Looks to you, like a son. I'll see if I can do some digging for you." He looked at his watch. "I need to let Shell know I'll be late."

"Stay the night, Sam. Please." Sam nodded.

"Got a secure phone for me to call her?"

Callen handed him a satellite phone. "I sure do."

_A/N: I hope you liked the reunion and for Callen to open up to Sam. Sam's been waiting a long time for him to open up to him. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	14. Chapter 14

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Sorry for the delay, my holiday was full of kayaking, the beach, exploring, reading Tess Gerritsen and Nora Roberts. I did a lot less writing than I thought, but my holiday with my hubby and kids was well worth the break. Time to see how Sam and Nell go with meeting Alex._

**Chapter 14**

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Alex awoke from her sleep, she could hear talking downstairs and concluded they had visitors. Curiosity got the better of her and she quietly moved down the stairs to find out who they were. She peeked around the corner and found her daughter talking to a woman. Petite and young, much younger than herself. She smiled as she listened to the conversation she had with Katie. Nell, she concluded. The Intelligence Analyst whom Owen had placed inside OSP to watch over Callen and spy on Hetty. Pleased with the progress Nell made with helping Katie understand that she was still very much the same girl as she was back in D.C., she made her way up the corridor and stood outside the study. Leaning on the door, she heard the conversation between Callen and Sam. At first, she was annoyed that Sam had been filled in on their whereabouts, but as she listened to Callen open up to him, she realised just how much Callen needed him.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she heard Callen admit how much he had failed by leaving Alex behind, when he moved to Los Angeles. The flood gates opened up, when Callen revealed to Sam just how much it killed him, over the state he found her in, back in Donetsk. She quickly wiped her eyes and made her way out the back door, and sat on the patio, reflecting on the events that brought her husband back into their lives. She knew how bad Callen felt, but the pain inside of her, still hurt. Fear that he'd leave them again found it's way in the edge of her mind. She knew it was stupid and she had scolded herself for even thinking it, but she couldn't help it. Worrying for something that may never happen was a habit of hers, when it came to her personal life, but not her job. If it had, there was no way she would ever have chosen the career path of an agent. She face danger every day, but it never concerned her. It was only the nigglings of her personal life that worked it's way into something more than it was. However, she had a good reason for her fear. Hetty had already taken Callen away once and she still had no understanding to the reasons why. Callen was just as much surprised and puzzled as she was. She needed to speak to Nell about it, while she had the chance to see the younger woman. To find out if Hetty had mentioned it to her, or if Hetty had a file on her somewhere, that she could get into and read. Surely she had one on her that she could forward onto her. She'd love to know why Hetty was so determined to keep Callen away from her.

She fiddled with the envelope in her hands. Her blood results had arrived that afternoon, but she was wary to open it up and read what it said. Fear for her future sat in her hands and she couldn't change the fact of what it said. No matter what she tried to do, she knew if the results were bad, it would be the final straw for her. After all that she had endured, she was vulnerable, more so than she'd felt in all of her life. And she despised it.

"Are you going to open it?" She looked over and saw Callen standing at the back door, watching her. She saw his eagerness to get over this news before it made him burst. She had noticed the worry lines etch deeper in his forehead and around his eyes, over the past six months. Worry for her had aged him, she realised. It proved more to her just how much he still loved her, even after walking out on their marriage.

"I don't know. I feel it's like opening up Pandora's Box. If I do, I'll let a whole lot of things escape that I'm not ready to handle. But if I don't the worrying about it will eat at me." Her hand trembled as she held it in her hands. Callen walked over to her and sat down beside her, holding her hands in his.

"How about we do it together?" Sam watched from within the house, his partner with his wife. He observed how frail she looked and he was surprised that she was a fellow agent. _What happened to her in Donetsk did this to her._ He was still in the dark over exactly what had happened to Alex, but he knew that whatever it was, Callen appeared to struggle to talk about it. Anger flashed through his veins and desire to strangle and torture Green slowly and painfully, entered his thoughts. This wasn't him and it surprised him. He was a man of honour and integrity, not of revenge and anger.

Alex took in a deep breath and nodded. Together, she and Callen ripped open the white envelope and unfolded the letter. She glanced at the words, but they appeared as jumbled up letters. She squinted her eyes and tried to read it again. She read the first two sentences and noticed Callen was watching her, reading her thoughts as she read the report. She looked up and met his gaze. Relief flooded her system and tears of emotion streamed down her face. She was in the clear of any diseases that Roman could have passed onto her. Callen wrapped his arms around her and moved in closely. He gently kissed her temple and held her there. He soothed her, she noted. What was it about him that soothed her? She'd pondered about that fact ever since she'd met him.

Finally she was free. That feeling of being released from her bonds that had chained her down for the past six months was exhilarating. A smile formed on her lips and a laugh escaped her throat. She looked up at Callen and saw him join in on her joy. "We should celebrate, Al. You, me and Katie. A weekend trip up north, camping. Just like we used to do."

"I'd like that, very much." She felt lighter all of a sudden and like her old self again. Before he left. When their lives seemed so much simpler.

She looked to the door and back at Callen. "Are you going to introduce us?"

Callen raised his brow, surprised she'd noticed Sam being there, but he shouldn't have. Like himself, nothing passed by her without being noticed. One of the many great qualities she possessed that made her a great agent. "I should have known that you'd know he was here. Have you seen Nell?"

"Kind of. I like her. She's good with Katie." Her voice remained low, aware that they were outside talking, incase nosy neighbours listened in to their conversation.

Sam stepped outside and joined them on the patio. "Sam, this is Alex, my wife." His lips spread into a proud smile. "Alex, this is my partner, Sam."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alex." Sam held out his hand to shake hers, but she drew him in for a hug.

"No, Sam. It's my pleasure. Thank you for keeping G alive for us." Sam was taken aback by her warmth. He'd never expected this welcome from her, seeing how she'd looked so fragile a few moments earlier. He knew she'd received good news for her whole demeanour had perked up after reading it. The sparkle had returned into her eyes and he could see the gorgeous woman that his partner had fallen in love with. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth years ago at the hospital. I didn't know who I could trust. After Hetty's call…"

"I'm sorry too, Alex. I wish I had known about you then. Known that someone else out there cared about him. He needs a family. I'm glad he's got you and Katie."

"You know I am right here, don't you?" Callen quipped, but pleased that Alex and Sam appeared to be hitting it off better than he thought.

"And there he goes, seeking attention again." Sam mumbled and Alex burst out laughing.

"Oh you know him so well," Alex replied. They were teasing him, but Callen was all smiles as he watched her glow. It was the first time in six months that he'd seen her happy again.

"I sure do. But even so, he's managed to keep you a huge secret." Sam felt a mixture of emotions. Disappointed that Callen hadn't let him inside his inner sanctum about Alex, but happy that finally he had and that he had the chance to be a husband and dad. The one thing he'd wished for his partner, since the day he met him.

"That's my fault," Callen added. He stood up and moved beside Alex. "I should never have left her." He wrapped his arm around her and drew her in for a kiss. "Let's find Katie and Nell, so I can introduce the two of you."

Nell looked up at the sound of laughter as Callen, Alex and Sam walked into the house. Nell had never met Alex before, although Granger had provided her file to read. However, the image in her file was very different to the woman beside their team leader. She looked tiny compared to Callen and Sam, and for the first time since being read in on this secret operation of Callen and Alex's, the impact of what she had endured in Donetsk, hit her.

"Nell, I would like you to meet Alex. My wife." He loved referring to her as his wife. He'd missed her so much over the years and was now making up for it. Undercover, he'd introduce her as Kelly, his wife. But it just didn't have the same effect. They weren't themselves, although back at home, they tried to be. "Alex, this is Nell. Our Intelligence Analyst."

Alex stepped forward and embraced Nell into a hug, causing surprise to spread across Nell's face. Like Sam, she too hadn't expected such warmth from Alexandra Holden. "It's great to finally meet you, Nell. I've heard bits and pieces about you from Owen and G. I fell like we've been friends for years."

"It great to finally meet you, too, Alex. Granger's told me some for the case, but it's really good to meet you and Katie in person." Nell smiled warmly back, pleased at how easy Alex and Katie were with her. From the sounds of the laughter, it appeared that Sam and Alex hit it off too. Her nerves settled in the pit of her stomach, that had been jittery on their arrival. She sighed a happy sigh and looked over to Callen, the joy in his expression said it all. He was happy here, with Alex and Katie. Being a husband and father suited him. Alex had done a great job in raising Katie on her own, but she reminded her of Callen in so many ways, which she found interesting. Genetics were a fascination to her and she found herself analysing Alex and Callen in comparison to Katie, the child they made together. _Remarkable at how strong the Callen genes were, in comparison to the Holden genes,_ she thought.

"I think we should crank up the barbecue for a feast, Sam. Let the women bond in the kitchen." He winked over to Alex and Nell, as he led Sam back outside. They had a great deal of catching up to do.

_A/N: Good news for Alex, finally. Sam and Nell's first visit went surprisingly well. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	15. Chapter 15

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews._

**Chapter 15**

**_Office of Special Projects…_**

The time away in Santa Barbara with Callen and his family had gone better than Sam and Nell had envisioned. They stayed until lunch on the Saturday and said their goodbyes. They chatted openly on the drive back to Los Angeles, getting out everything that was on their mind and about their time with the "Sheers," before they returned to their old life. There was a lot of laughter between the two working colleagues, if anyone had watched them along the journey home, they might have thought that a romance was blossoming between the unlikely pair. But they knew the truth. They had something secret shared between them that bonded them together, as good friends and colleagues working for the greater good. They had a family that was dear to them to protect.

Sam never thought he'd enjoy Nell's company as much as he had for the past twenty-four hours. He knew that when they returned to work come Monday, their working relationship would shift. He only hoped that no one came to the conclusion as to why. Away from Eric, Nell appeared normal, in Sam's book. No longer geeky. She was funny, entertaining them all with funny stories from her growing up years with her brothers and sisters. She impressed them with her drones skills and that she'd won some competitions, a fact that Sam and Callen kept in the back of their minds, if a future case involving drones came their way.

They were impressed with her varied skills, not just her brains. She was smart, that was something they'd known from the start, but they also knew the truth of who she really was. A trained agent, who could protect not only herself, but have their backs as well. She was put in place to keep a close eye on Hetty, who remained every bit still, a mystery to them all. Something Sam appreciated knowing, especially seeing he hated his temporary partner with a vengeance. More now that he knew the truth about Green. But he had to keep a lid on his emotions around the rogue agent, allowing further proof to his dealings, so he could be punished fully for all that he'd done, not just in Donetsk. Burning Alex, was the tip of the iceberg.

Sam pounded the sand bag on the landing in the mission, trying to expel his frustrations of having to work with Adam Green and not with his partner. He enjoyed having the time with Callen and missed him again, now he was back at work. He'd spent the rest of the weekend with Michell and Kamran, thankful to have the time with his own family, before another busy week at work. Not knowing what the week would bring them with regards to cases, it brought along it's own amount of tension, let alone the ones already brewing.

"Something is bothering you, Mr Hanna." Hetty stood patiently to the side as she watched her current team leader pound the heavy leather encased sand bag. She admired his technique and rhythm, something that told her a great deal about the person she watched. He was a man of integrity and felt things close to his heart. He worked by the letter, unless it involved someone he cared about and sought justice for the innocent. He'd enter danger to protect his partner, but not the one he was placed with currently. And that was one big problem for Henrietta Lange. She'd tried so many times to get answers from their Director, Leon Vance, but still, nothing.

"You think?" Sam stopped pounding and took in a deep breath. "Im sorry to snap at you, Hetty. But it's been over six months now, I want my partner back and Green gone."

"I agree with you, Sam." She sat on the bench seat and waited for him to join her.

Sam bounced the bench seat as he sat down, his heavy set was too much for the petite woman who held on to her position firmly. "I can't work with Green anymore. I don't like him, I don't trust him. No one on the team trusts him."

Hetty took in a deep breath and slowly released it. "I am well aware of the situation, Sam. I wish I could bring your partner back and have someone else deal with Green. Unfortunately, this is above my pay grade."

Sam knew the why now, but held his tongue. Instead he nudged the conversation in a different direction, to dig for answers of another puzzle. "I know you care about G like a son, Hetty. Always sought what was best for him. You wanted to give him a family, even when he was a kid."

Hetty held her peace as she thought of the missing member of her team, her family.

"Can I ask a question?" Sam turned and faced her, lowering his voice. "Why did G move so much growing up? Isn't thirty-seven foster families too much for a kid to emotionally deal with all of that moving about?" It made sense to him when G put it to him the other night, that his movements growing up was indeed irregular. He'd done some research of his own over the weekend and found that foster kids were usually only moved if the child was in danger, or if they had to be placed in a temporary home until a more suitable one arose. But thirty-seven? How could any child adjust and feel safe if they knew that they would be moved at any moment? Something he was certain happened to his own partner. The fact that he'd grown up to the man he is today, was a miracle.

Hetty sighed. "It wasn't by choice, Sam. I wish I could have found him a family to grow up in and be loved, like he had before he lost his mother. Unfortunately, after the shooting, Mr Callen went into shock and couldn't speak for a very long time. When I found him, two years later, he was seven, living in an orphanage. I'd just found out about his sister's death and it broke my heart, I did everything I could to help him. I had to for his mother's sake. She was a good friend and I cared for her like a sister. But there were other elements in the equation. He was in danger from the Comescus. They had contacts all over the country searching for the Callen children. I have a horrible feeling that they found Amy and killed her. I had to hide him, move him about whenever I got whispers that they were close to finding him. The longest and happiest time he had, was with the Rostovs. Three months, then I had to move him because a Comescu had found him." A tear welled up and threatened at the edge of her eyes.

"What about his father, Nikita. Couldn't you use your contacts to find him, so G could live with him?"

Hetty shook her head. "Clara never mentioned to me who their father was. Until last year, I had no idea who he was."

"Did you ask anyone else in Clara's family for help? Her mother, a cousin?"

Hetty narrowed her eyes as she thought about it. "I never knew about any family of hers, except that her father had been killed by the Comescus. She never talked about her family."

"Surely the CIA had a next of kin on her records?" The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him, that there could have been more for Hetty to have done for his partner, back when he needed it the most.

She shook her head. "I couldn't let them know about Clara's children. Langley would have scooped them up and turned them into assets. A child of an agent, you've heard the rumours, Sam. What kind of life would he have had?"

"They could have helped you find his family." Sam stood up and continued pounding.

"Where's all this questioning coming from, Sam?" She stood up and walked around the sand bag and held it.

Sam huffed through his frustration. "Ever since I've known G, I've never known about any of his family because he never knew. Then he finds out the other year, after you take off on your own, that you knew his mother. You asked me to become his brother, so I did. But we both know that finding his family has been the brunt of his mind for most of his life. What is his name, who is his family. I feel that we're not enough for him. He needs his blood." Satisfied he had said all that he'd needed to for the moment, he unstrapped the gloves and sat back down. He wiped the sweat from off his brow and around his neck, before swallowing water from a bottle.

Hetty watched him and thought about everything Sam had asked her and said. "Do you think that's where he is now? Out searching for his blood?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't a clue, because he's been gone six months. Pulled out of the office from Director Vance, who avoids your calls for how many weeks? And still avoids providing the information on where he is. How do we know he's not gone lone wolf? We don't." Sam knew he was walking on thin ice even bringing up the subject of his partner with Hetty, but he needed to find out answers for him, seeing Vance was keeping Callen far from her at the moment.

"You are right, Sam. We haven't a clue." She watched Sam walk away to the showers, ready for whatever the day brought him. She climbed down the stairs and dialled her phone.

"Leon. We need to talk."

Leon Vance sat at his desk, alone. He'd just completed a meeting with the SecNav, who wanted updates on the mole in OSP and on Owen Granger's recovery. Talking to Hetty was the last thing he wanted, but he'd endure her anyway. "Hetty, how are things settling back down after all the excitement, recently?"

"My people are rattled, Leon. They're looking at each other, wondering if they're a mole too. I know I vet my people well, but after having one slip under the radar, I'm not sure if I've failed to find any others." Leon knew where she was leading and he knew she had failed. Because Nell Jones had found one huge thing about Green since he was under her care and she still hadn't a clue about it. Perhaps Hetty was getting too old for her job? He knew she would fight him to the death in keeping her position as Operations Manager at OSP. She cared too much for her people.

"You are worried about Green." It was a statement, not a question. He had wondered if placing Green there was such a good idea, but he had run out of options. Green was rotten and he needed to get him out of Boston and away from his usual contacts ASAP. He had agents in the field that he needed to protect, after Green had burned Alex in Donetsk. But it was still Alex's word against Green's. He was well up to date with Owen's interrogations with Green, and he had gone over the intel that they pulled from it and he'd read Nell's analysis. They were getting close.

"I'm damn well am, Leon. No one likes or trusts him. He doesn't play well with others. This unit needs to trust each other and he is a huge problem for all of us. Mr Hanna is at the end of his tether in having to deal with him. He wants his partner back."

"I know and he will, eventually. But Agent Callen is on a long deep cover assignment. He can't be pulled out until he's finished doing the job he's been ordered to do." Leon thought for a moment before continuing. "Why don't you mix up the agents. Have Detective Deeks partner up with Green for a bit. See how things go from there."

Hetty didn't like the solution one bit, but she'd accept the suggestion. "Okay, Leon. We will give it a try. Please send our Mr Callen home soon. His team misses him."

"I will try my best, Henrietta. Give my regards to Owen, I hope he's recovering well from his ordeal."

"It will be another few weeks before we see Owen around here, Leon. He took a nasty dose of that poison." She berated herself for not seeing it herself. He'd become thin and more snarky than usual. The tell tale sign that something was not right with the Assistant Director. She knew she would have to be more astute to those around her. Any tell tale signs that something is a mis, she will act. She couldn't have another of her people harmed again.

_A/N: Sam was risking exposing what he knew, but for now, he's managed to keep it from Hetty. Finding out Hetty's intentions for his partner are high on his priorities, as well as getting rid of Green. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	16. Chapter 16

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. A huge time jump in the story, to aide us to get to where this story is going. Warning for Motsie of Atlantis, please don't fret about your pixie in this chapter. _

**Chapter 16**

**_Santa Barbara, June, 2015…_**

Callen rolled onto his side and placed his hand over Alex's bulging belly. A smile crept across his face as tiny feet kicked out and hit the jackpot to where his hands laid. Their son grew bigger each day and he couldn't wait to meet him. They'd already picked out his name, it was an easy choice and he couldn't wait until his son met his namesake. Sam. He missed the big guy, but at least he managed to sneak up and visit once a month.

So far, Hetty hadn't discovered the truth. Owen had recovered from his poisoning and visited them a couple of times, spending Christmas with them. Katie enjoyed the visits from her colleagues back in L.A., getting to know them and more about her father in the process. Sam had wanted to bring his family up to visit them, but he didn't want to place Alex in danger, if Green found out about his family and that Alex was alive. So he visited with Nell, whom in turn visited his family more often, since that first visit with him to Santa Barbara. She had become close friends with Michelle and she was a hit with Kamran too. If she wasn't hanging out with Beale, she was either on a girls night out with Kensi, hanging out at the Hanna household or up in Santa Barbara, visiting the "Sheers."

"Would you two stop playing tag at my expense?" Alex rolled out of bed and headed into the bathroom. It had been a long time since she was pregnant with Katie, and back then, she'd done it alone. She enjoyed having G beside her all the way during this pregnancy. This was the first time for G to go through the pregnancy with her and he was attentive, reading everything on the subject. She could see that he was nervous and excited. But it was his nervousness that made her nervous too. Like two teenagers, who'd sneaked off from their family to have a baby. Hiding away in a new town, under the guise of aliases for protection and for G's assignment, was virtually the same. Except for the fact that they were both adults with a ten year old.

"We did nothing wrong." Callen followed her into the bathroom and leaned on the doorframe. "I was hugging you both and our son responded."

"With a kick, that make me need to pee and hurt my back." Callen frowned and worried about her.

"Is your back still bothering you?" She'd been given the all clear from the doctors over her injuries that she had sustained in Donetsk, before she fell pregnant. But her bulging belly did nothing to comfort the backaches.

Alex raised her brow. "What do you think, huh? You try carrying this extra weight around and placing pressure on your back everyday for months on end. Then your feet swell up and you feel like a duck waddling everywhere." The timing of their baby worked in well with her going on maternity leave after the school year ended.

Callen moved behind her as she washed her hands and he rubbed her shoulder blades. "I'm sorry that you're uncomfortable, Ally. Just think of the little guy you're growing inside of you. Our son." He couldn't have been any prouder at that moment of his own family. He nibbled on the curve of her neck and soothed her. She relaxed and turned to face him. The bump made it impossible for him to pull her in close to hug, so she often found him giving her hugs from behind. It was sweet and she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

"I know. I'm sorry for being such a grump. But it's getting harder to sleep and I constantly feel uncomfortable."

"You're not a grump. You have every right to complain. Let me make you breakfast."

He smiled when Alex nodded and started the shower. He watched her slip under the water and wash the aches away. His smile continued as he worked in the kitchen, with Katie beside him. They were making pancakes. Alex's favourite, with panacotta and blueberries.

Upstairs, as Alex dressed, her email beeped on her laptop. She opened the file and read the contents. She sat down and became absorbed in the details of what Nell had finally found for her. Hetty's file on her. She furrowed her brow as she read the information. "That's not right." She continued on, confused even more as to why Hetty had such details on her. The woman had details of every stage of her life. From when she was born, went to kindergarten, school, college, FLETC and then her career with NCIS. But the details weren't right. "Who does she think I am? This is not me." Okay, the details about her schooling and career were definitely her, but the earlier details and the name was definitely not her. "Who the hell is Alexa Calin Vadim?" She quickly sent Nell a response.

_Thanks, Nell for the intel. I have no idea who this Alexa Calin Vadim is, nor why Hetty has her birth details mixed in with my schooling and career. Surely she's made a mistake and that's why she's tried to keep me away from G? Kelly. _

Alex closed her laptop and walked downstairs, still puzzled over the intel. Her face brightened upon seeing G and Katie dancing to Katy Perry, as they flipped pancakes in the pan and poured the next. "You two look like you're having fun. Can I join in?"

Katie ran over and hugged her mom as best as she could. "Morning, Mom. You just sit and we'll wait on you." Katie poured a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and placed it in front of her.

"Thanks, sweetheart." She rubbed her belly as her son kicked again, to let her know that he's there too. "Yes, you'll get to enjoy the pancakes too." Her worries from a moment ago flew out of her mind, as she enjoyed being waited on. "Ooh, these are delicious. Thanks."

Callen and Katie sat beside her on either side and became quiet, as they filled their mouths with breakfast. Until one of them started toe tickling under the table and erupted in laughter.

Life couldn't get any better, Alex thought. They had come a long way, the three of them. It took her time to adjust to being with Callen again and he had been patient with her, as she healed from her injuries. The guilt from abandoning her years ago, made him try even harder to make up for it. And made up for it, he had. She felt spoiled and loved, and eventually she relaxed around him. As she watched him over the past year, she saw how much he loved being with them. Callen felt complete and all her fears flew out the window. It was when she relaxed, that she let him back into her heart. Before then, she'd argue, just for the sake of arguing. He'd stand calmly and took it, another point in his favour. Then she'd shout at him for being so calm and he'd held her and comforted her. He understood where she was coming from. What he'd put her through and then the ordeal in Donetsk, it was difficult to accept that life was now in her favour. That she had what she wanted, needed and deserved - her husband back and they were a family. After the news of being cleared from disease, she relaxed that bit more and eventually she'd allowed G to sleep beside her. But it had been a long process for her to get to where she was now. A tremendous amount of faith and trust, to allow her husband to touch her and love her. The result of that love kicked inside of her, causing her to run to the bathroom, to pee again.

**_Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles…_**

Green couldn't keep track of Nell Jones. He'd tried to follow her on numerous occasions, deciding the young Intelligence Analyst was a weak point in the team. Beale wasn't his kind of fun, Green decided. A geek, who played video games and surfed. Green hated the beach with a vengeance. Sand. Ugh! No. There was no way he'd worm his way into Eric Beale's life, just to get into this tight knit group. But Nell Jones fascinated him. She bounced around the office and always appeared polite, even when she dealt with him. So he tried to follow her. See where she lived and hung out. Who her friends were, who and if she had a boyfriend. From what he observed in the office, Nell was close to Eric Beale. They had their own language, it appeared now and then and he had no idea what they were talking about. Ugh! No. He couldn't see Eric and Nell together, together. She was too good for him, he decided. She needed someone better, tougher and to show her the way to become a field agent. She needed him.

If only he could find out more about the young woman. He watched her in her dresses and was curious as to why she always appeared covered up, with a cardigan over her arms. Something else he wanted to discover, he thought. He tried to get close to her at work and to ask her out, but Sam always got in the way. On the odd occasion, he'd caught them in the burn room and he found the door to be locked on the inside. Curious, he thought. Sam was the largest man he'd known and Nell, well, she was almost as petite as Hetty. Complete opposites. He shook his head and dispelled the idea of an office romance between the two. Ridiculous. But something was definitely going on between those two and he needed to get to the bottom of it. If only Hetty didn't have cameras dotted all over the place. Ever since the mole incident, the woman was more paranoid than ever.

Owen Granger was needed up in San Francisco, so he couldn't visit Callen and his family. Nell had plans with Eric and hated to cancel them. He was questioning her on what she was doing, when she was either at Sam's or at Callen's. She couldn't afford for Eric to catch on to what was going on, so she needed Sam to head north to Santa Barbara for the second weekend in a row.

"It's okay, Nell. I can go." A smile crept across his face at the thought of another trip to Santa Barbara to see his partner again. It had been a long week and he was ready to exit the mission to leave the stress of the job behind. But it wasn't just any trip. Nell had information that had to be handed to Alex in person. She just couldn't tell Sam what it was, it was confidential. It was too sensitive to even email encrypted, like she'd done in the past. She'd found some information that made her nervous and she had to send it onto Alex immediately. Normally Granger's visits could be held off, but she hated for this latest intel to get into the wrong hands. She handed him the envelope and ensured he understood the sensitivity of the contents.

"I get it, Nell. It's me, remember?" She nodded and nibbled on her lower lip, from nerves. "You know you look very endearing when you do that, Nell."

Nell furrowed her brow at him. "Doing what?"

"That. Nibbling on your lower lip. I watch Eric melt when he sees you do it. You sure the two of you haven't thought about…"

Nell's eyes widened and she shoved her hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare say it, Sam. I will slowly kill you in your sleep, if you do." It was a meaningless threat, knowing too well that she could never harm him, nor want too.

"You like him. I can see that."

"As a friend. But you know," she lowered her voice to a soft whisper, "you know the truth about me, Sam. Eric doesn't. If he knew the truth, it would hurt his feelings that I never told him. Who can have a relationship built on lies?"

He understood her predicament and he nodded. "I'll leave now, before we get another case." He left her there pondering about Eric Beale. The kind man who worked tirelessly beside her to help protect and feed information to their field agents.

The drive north was easier than Sam had predicted, even after all of his rerouting to avoid any tails. With his cell switched off, his challenger's GPS disabled, he sang to the jazz that pounded out of the speakers, putting him in a happy mood. He pulled up outside the now familiar house and rang the doorbell. He heard movement inside and smiled when he saw Alex waddle to the front door.

"Sam. What a surprise. Come on in." She stood back to give him room and closed the door behind her. "G won't be home from work till eight tonight. But you're welcome to stay the night."

"That would be great, thanks, Alex. Can I use a phone to let Shell know I'll be held up tonight?"

"Yeah sure." She led him into the study and turned to give him some privacy.

"Nell asked me to give you this. She said it was too sensitive to send by encrypted email."

Alex looked at the envelope and nodded. "Thanks, Sam." She headed out the door and found a quiet space out on the patio. Katie was having a sleepover with a friend, which she was happy about. After Nell's talk with her late the year before, Katie had settled better at school and was always having friends over or going over to theirs.

_A/N: For Fart Fart, who wanted Callen and Alex to have a son, well, here it is. Already written, before you asked. Planned months ago. Is Nell in danger, now that Green has his eyes set on her? Time will tell. Curious to know what information Nell has found for Alex? Fart Fart, you will love this, the next chapter is the big reveal. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	17. Chapter 17

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Special mention to Fart Fart who requested this, although it was already written into the story._

**Chapter 17**

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Alex had hoped Nell could have delivered this information in person, than send it with Sam, but she understood why Nell couldn't come on this occasion. It was challenging enough to hide from those she worked with, exactly what she was up to as it was. She took in a deep breath and opened the envelope. A folder with "confidential" was stamped on the front cover with the title: Operation Comescu. Alex furrowed her brow. Comescu. She'd heard that name mentioned in conversation before. Between Owen and G. A Romanian crime family who sought vengeance on the Callen bloodline. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of their daughter, Katie, being in danger from this family. Determination ensued her to keep reading, anything she received from Nell, she hoped would help her understand all threats to her family and who Henrietta Lange was. She never envisioned to receive so much information from Nell together, but she'd been waiting months for this.

She pulled out her blue rimmed glasses and studied the pages. The first was about the original operation when King Michael asked the United States for assistance. A team of OSS officers flew into Romania to dispel any who had helped the Nazis in the eastern European country. She found the Comescu names, there were three of them in total, who were killed. The man who led the team was a man named George Callen. A photo of the man was paper clipped to the page and she studied it. G's grandfather, she realised. She could see some resemblance, but mostly, G was like his father, Nikita. She continued to read the report about George Callen's death and how his Romani wife, Amelia Dalca fled to America with their daughter, Clara. She found the details about the Callen family, Owen Granger's family appeared in the document. Here was the evidence that Callen deserved to have been given all those years ago. Proof of who he was, his family, his history. Instead Hetty kept him far away, hidden from them. Anger rippled under the surface, but she reined it in. It wasn't good for the baby to get angry.

Another document showed details of the Comescus dealings in the United States. A daughter of the Comescus, Calin, married Dimitri Vadim. They moved to Boston, back in 1975, with their daughter, Elena. In the next paragraph, she saw that name again. They had another daughter, Alexa Calin Vadim. She was born the same year as Alex, she noted. A family photo was paper clipped to the page, Nell was thorough. She picked the photo up and studied it. A fair headed girl with curls and a baby with the darkest locks, such a contrast to her fair sister. But it was the blue eyes and raven hair of the baby girl that caught Alex's attention. So much like her. She picked up the documents and went inside to search for her photo album that she kept with her. Photos of her family and her childhood years, with her brother and sister. They were close and she loved them dearly. She found it upstairs in the closet and managed to reach it, without calling for Sam's help. She sat down on the bed, her back aching and decided to move to the floor. She rested her back on the wall and opened the pages. Photos of her at two years of age and upwards. No baby photos. "Where are my baby photos?"

She wanted to call her parents to ask them to email her a copy, but she couldn't. No contact with her parents, that was the deal. She sighed. In the back of the album was an envelope stuck to it. She opened it and found something, that she'd never knew was there before. It was given to her as a gift by her parents when she turned eighteen, but not once had she noticed this. Puzzled, she pulled the document out from the back. Her eyes widened as she read the document. She took in a ragged breath, a tear escaped and dropped on her belly. Quickly, she wiped her eyes and re read the document. Adoption certificate and change of name. Another page was folded behind it and it slipped into her lap. She took one look at it and shock spread across her face. Everything that she had ever known about who she was was a lie. Her parents, her siblings, weren't hers. In her hands was the proof that she had been born Alexa Calin Vadim. Daughter of Calin Comescu and Dimitri Vadim. Younger sister to Elena Vadim. But the Holdens, the only parents she knew, had adopted her. A closed adoption with only a judge involved.

She needed to talk to Nell. Her mind buzzed and she suddenly felt dizzy. She took in a few deep breaths but she still couldn't control it. Standing up in her condition wasn't a wise move at anytime, especially pregnant. She needed help, but the sensitive documents on her lap and floor beside her were a concern. She continued the breathing to gain back the control. The door opened and she found Callen kneeling down with worry. "Ally?" He studied her for a moment and realised something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"

"Dizzy."

Callen grabbed a glass and filled it up with fresh cool water and handed it to her. "Drink this."

Alex nodded, closing her eyes as she did. He continued to watch her, unaware of the paperwork around her. The water helped. Her head felt clearer and she opened her eyes again and she met his gaze. "Thanks. I must have gotten dehydrated."

Callen relaxed again. He'd only popped in to check on her and found Sam downstairs watching the sports channel. "I'll help you up." It was then that he saw the paperwork around her. He picked up the photo of a family of four and studied it. "Who are these people?"

Alex couldn't answer him. What was she to say? That's me as a baby with my real family? Her heart raced again and fear grew within her again. Callen flipped the photo over and read the names on the back. Dimitri Vadim, Calin Comescu, their two children, Elena aged 5 and Alexa, six months. He looked at the date, 1977. "Where did you get this? Why do you have this?"

"Nell. She sent it up with Sam." It was the truth, but it was all that she could tell him. She was still trying to get her head around the information herself.

"She sent it up for you. Why?" Callen collected the rest of the paperwork and found another photo. George Callen. His grandfather. "This should have come to me. This is my family. What's going on, Alex?"

A tear betrayed her courage to answer him. "Ally?"

Instead of answering him, she handed the documents still gripped in her hand. She sat on the bed and stared at the wall and surrendered. He wasn't suppose to find out about her search on why Hetty tried to keep them apart. Nell had agreed to help her, but she never expected to find this. That she was family to the Comescus. The family who had a blood feud with Callen's family. She was his enemy. No wonder why Hetty kept them apart. For his protection. But she wasn't his enemy. She didn't know until now, who she really was. _Katie. Oh my goodness. Poor Katie._ And this baby growing inside of her. Their son. They were Comescu and Callen. They weren't safe. None of them were. If her real family found out what happened to her, they were in more danger, than from Green.

Callen studied the documents, his brow remained furrowed. He kept his gaze on the documents, he couldn't tear himself away. He managed to rein in his emotions and remained a blank canvas to Alex. His wife. _Crap._ If these documents were true, then Alex was this Alexa. He remembered Alexa Comescu, whom she was named after. The older woman who'd shot Hetty, who'd gone in to protect him. Then Lauren killed her to protect him. A nervous twitch betrayed him, just under his left eye.

"G." Alex's voice trembled. Her hormones were all over the place as it was, now fear that she would lose her husband again shot through her.

He looked up and saw her fear. That same fear that made his heart pound heavily in his chest.

"I had no idea. No one ever told me I was adopted. I only found these documents now, after seeing that old photo, I recognised myself. So I came up here to find the album my parents gave me. It was then that I realised that I had no baby photos of myself. Then I found the envelope, glued into the back of the album." She held her hand out to Callen's, but he remained still. Silent. He was shutting down on her. No. She couldn't allow this to tear them apart, not after all that they had gone through. "G, please say something."

"This is you?" He pointed to the baby in the photo.

Alex nodded. "But I don't recognise the others. Only what it says on the back. And the adoption papers." Her birth certificate had been kept with the adoption papers. There was no denying it. Who she really was.

"You never knew you were adopted?"

"No. My parents never told me." He believed her. He saw the fear in her eyes, heard it in her voice. "You're Comescu. Do you realise what that means?"

She nodded. "That I am the enemy. And we're all in danger."

Her words hung in the air and ripped through him. His wife. The love of his life. The mother of their daughter and their son. Their son whom she carried lovingly inside of her, bearing the aches and pains of motherhood. No, she wasn't the enemy. Not his Ally. He pulled her in as close as he could and held her. "No, Ally. You're not the enemy. You can't be blamed for those who came before you in your bloodline. It says here that you were a Vadim. The blonde, your sister, Elena. She's turned her back on the Comescus, and she's living her life far from them, in South America. Argentina or Venezuela. I can't remember. She has a family too. Your father took her away from them. I think he was a good man, Ally, not an enemy. But you are right about one thing, we're all in danger from the Comescus. If they find out, if anyone finds out, all hell will break loose. We need to hide this. Keep the intel to ourselves." He placed everything back into the envelope and her adoption and birth certificate back into the back of the photo album, and hid them at the back of the closet. "Let's forget about this for now. We'll get back to this after Sam's gone, okay."

Alex nodded and sighed. Callen was a good man. A kind man, who saw the good in people, even after all that he'd been through. "I'll ring Nell later. See if we can get her up here and explain all of this to us."

"She can't come. That's why Sam brought it up. Eric Beale, he's asking her a lot of questions about what's she's doing."

Callen nodded. "Okay. But we need to talk to her at some point."

He kissed her softly, tenderly loving her. "I love you, Ally. No matter what else we find out, you are not the enemy." They both had many questions over how she came to being a Holden and escaped the grasps of the Comescus.

"I love you too, G. Thank you." She squeezed his hand in thanks and followed him back downstairs, to focus on their guest and to forget this nightmare.

_A/N: Were you shocked or had you come to the same conclusion as to why Hetty kept Callen away from Alex all those years ago? But how come Hetty knew who Alex really was, if it was a closed adoption? Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	18. Chapter 18

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews._

**Chapter 18**

**_Los Angeles…_**

Michelle Hanna disconnected the call and turned to her guest and gave her a warm smile. "What can I do for you, Miss Lange?"

"Mrs Hanna. I don't wish to pry, but do you know where your husband is right now?"

Michelle turned her gaze to the phone in her hand and looked back to the formidable Henrietta Lange. "That was Sam on the phone. He's caught up on something and won't be home till tomorrow. Was there something that you needed him for?"

Hetty shook her head. "No, thank you, Mrs Hanna. You've been most kind with the tea and for your time. I won't keep you any further."

Michelle led the woman out of the house and waited until she left. She dialled the number she'd been given for emergencies and waited for an answer. "Owen Granger, there better be a good explanation to why my husband is disappearing on a Friday night, calling me from an untraceable number and to why Miss Lange just visited me, looking for him."

Owen Granger left the office, from the meeting he'd been caught up in, late on a Friday night. "Michelle. I can't provide that information. Let me deal with Hetty."

"Is he safe?" That was all that she needed to know. To provide her some comfort.

"Very safe."

"Thanks for clarifying that he's doing something for you. A wife can wonder some times."

"I understand. He'll be home tomorrow. Make the most of your weekend with him. He's having it tough at work at the moment."

"I know. He's so tense all the time." But not after his Friday nights away, which had brought the suspicions to the forefront of her mind that perhaps Sam was cheating on her. But not now. Owen Granger had confirmed to her that he was doing a secret job for him. But why was Sam so happy and relaxed on his return? Oh she was stupid. Of course. Callen. It made perfect sense for her and a smile spread across her face. Her mood lightened as she returned her focus to her daughter, Kamran.

"Hey sweetie. Dad will be home tomorrow. What shall we plan for the rest of the weekend?" She had a recital in the morning, but once Sam came home, they had more that they could do, just the three of them. Aiden wasn't planned to come home for a visit until next month. The four of them were heading north to Vancouver for a two week holiday.

Henrietta Lange sighed as she started her engine. Something was going on. Sam was disappearing somewhere on a Friday night and he and Nell were secretly meeting in the Burn room. She shook her head. No. There definitely couldn't be anything going on between Sam and Nell. Sam was a man of integrity. He wouldn't cheat on his wife. But curiosity got the better of her and so she found herself driving by Miss Jone's apartment, just to make sure.

The lights in the apartment were switched off and Nell's mini cooper was not in her parking spot outside. Still curious, she dialled her cell. "Miss Jones. Do you know where Mr Hanna has gone this evening? He wasn't home when I visited and Mrs Hanna couldn't tell me where he was."

"Hi Hetty. I have no idea. Do you want Eric to do a search? I'm at his place at the moment."

"Ah, no. Thank you, Miss Jones. Enjoy your weekend." She disconnected the call and remained in her vehicle. She hadn't considered that Nell would be with Eric. But she should have. They were good friends and did a lot of things in their time off work together. She was losing her touch, she decided. Her age was creeping up on her faster than she'd like. As she pondered on what Sam and Nell could possibly be up to, she saw a figure appear out of the shadows. A man with a hood over his head. He held a torch light in his hands and broke into the building. She waited, her hand on her cell, ready to call the cops. A light came on in Nell's apartment and as she looked up from her Jag, she saw the face of the intruder. Green. He'd broken inside Nell's apartment. Suddenly, fear for her Intelligence Analyst grew in the bottom of her stomach. She dialled Nell.

"Miss Jones."

Nell furrowed her brow. "Hetty?"

"I'm sorry to bother you again. You don't have anything confidential in your apartment, do you?"

"No, why?"

"I drove by your apartment on the off chance you were home before I called you earlier. Mr Green has broken into your apartment and is going through your things as we speak."

_Crap! _Nell quickly thought over what to do. "What?" Shock over the lows that Green would go to, rocked her. She felt violated and angry. "How does he know where I live?" Her voice sounded like a mouse, it squeaked and she remained in her cover. Now was not the time to reveal her true identity.

"I have no idea, Miss Jones, but we will get to the bottom of why Mr Green is breaking into his colleagues' homes. Would you like me to call the police?"

"Yes, thanks, Hetty. I think I should stay here tonight. Just in case he hangs around."

"That's a good idea, Miss Jones." Nell hung up and looked worried over to Eric.

"Nell, is everything okay?"

She shook her head. "No. Hetty was passing by my apartment and caught Green breaking in." She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. "Is it okay if I stay here the night?"

"Yes, of course. You don't want to call the cops or Deeks?"

"Hetty's doing it. She's hoping it will scare him away."

"I'll come with you in the morning to make sure he's not taken anything."

"Thanks, Eric." She exited the room and headed for the bathroom. She pulled out her secret burn phone and made a call.

"What can I do for you, Miss Jones?"

"Director, we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"Green. Hetty's caught him breaking into my apartment."

"Your cover apartment?"

"Yes. But still, he had no knowledge of where I am supposed to be living. Thankfully I don't keep anything at that location." She thought of all the computers and files she kept at her real home in the basement. Beale would be impressed with her set up, if only he knew about it. Guilt sat on her shoulders over the predicament of her deceit. She liked him a lot. He was one of the good guys and a dear friend. She only hoped that it never came to him finding out who she really was. She'd progressed a great deal in searching out who Hetty really was and felt she was close to the truth. Her eyes had widened at the information she'd found for Alex and she knew the truth was going to be hard for her to deal with, let alone tell Callen. She had wished she could have driven up to see them this weekend herself, to talk it through with them and hopefully, help them accept the truth. It made sense to her on why Hetty had tried to keep Callen and Alex apart now, but still, there were a lot of questions that needed answering.

"Okay. Stay clear of your real home for a bit. Keep your cover going. Where are you now?"

"At Eric's house. I'm staying the night, I don't fancy heading back to the apartment just in case Green is there."

"Good move. I'll get back to you on how our other investigation is going with Green's dealings in Europe. Watch your back, Nell. You're doing great work out there, it's not gone unnoticed. By the time you've finished there, you'll be ready to head up your own team somewhere. Have you thought about taking over from Hetty, I have a feeling she's starting to feel her age?"

"That mole incident and Helen's death has shaken everyone up. Eric is still looking over his shoulder at the office people."

"I'm not surprised. It's disturbing about what's going on. Two people are dead, we had a DOJ officer injured and Hetty was almost kidnapped. It's not a time to let our guards down."

"No it's not, Sir." She took in a deep breath before she continued. "What are your thoughts on the latest information I sent to you, through Assistant Director, Granger?"

"Very interesting. Have you sent it through to Alex?"

"I have. Sam took it up to her tonight. It's not going to be easy for either of them to accept this news."

"No it isn't. I've asked her father, Oscar, to come in for a meeting with regards to the death of Calin Vadim. Her being a Comescu does make it more dangerous for Callen and Alex and their daughter. When's their baby due?"

"In two month's time. That's if this news doesn't make her go into early labour. I wish I could have gone up to visit them myself. It's probably a good thing that they're all undercover, hiding up there. I'm sure there are still eyes and ears out for the Comescus in Los Angeles, looking for him."

"I'm sure there are. Which is why I have been happy to keep Hetty where she is. He's safer with her there, even though I haven't been happy with her actions, at least he's been kept safe from them." Leon rubbed his hand over his face as he thought over the situation. A knock on the door caught his attention. "It's late here, Miss Jones. I've got children to settle for the night. Let me know of any further developments. Update Granger on what you've just told me about Green. We'll see to removing him as soon as we can. I'm sorry to have placed this burden on you, but you're doing a lot of good for the agency and for Callen and his family."

"I know, Sir. Thank you." She disconnected the call and flushed the toilet. Hiding her private cell, strapped to her thigh, she went back out to the living room, where Eric was absorbed in another video game. She sighed and sat back down, thinking of all the information she'd found for Alex and Callen and about Green. She hoped Granger returned from San Francisco soon, so they could step up the interrogation again and get that final admission from him over his dealings with Roman Basara, in Donetsk and burning Alex.

Annoyance flashed in Adam Green's eyes over the failure to find anything at Nell Jones' apartment. It was as if the woman had no life, no past, nothing that he could use to worm his way into her life, or hold over her. Sirens rang in the distance, disturbing his thoughts. He better get out of there, just in case they were heading for his location. He couldn't get caught, how would he explain it, that he knew the occupant and broke in? He might be a Federal Agent, but getting caught inside one of the team's homes would not go down well with his current boss. He switched off the lights and moved swiftly down the stairs, into the darkness outside. He ran across the lawn and down the street, where his car waited for him. He didn't see anyone watching him, but he saw the police car drive along the road, lights flashing, although the siren had silenced. Someone must have seen him, he realised. He was pushing his luck too far and slouched low in his vehicle. Well it really wasn't his, was it? A government issued vehicle that would be traced back to a federal agency, way before he was linked to being in the area. He could always say he was on the look out, to ensure Nell was safe, if he was questioned. Worried for Nell, especially after the mole incident, late last year. It was still at the forefront of everyone's mind. Yep, that's what he'd do.

_A/N: That Green is trouble, with a captial T. Good thing Hetty spotted him, but she's getting suspicious about Sam and Nell. Good thing Michelle had Granger's number to clear things up. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	19. Chapter 19

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Note to Motsie of Atlantis, more of Nell for you to enjoy._

**Chapter 19**

Eric Beale stood beside Nell as she entered her apartment. He tried to be brave for her, but he knew that Nell was tough. Tougher than him, anyway. He'd observed her over the years since she'd arrived at OSP and concluded that she was special. Funny and weird like him, well at least some of the time and tough when she needed to be. Not bad ass like Kensi Blye, but she had her own style and he liked her for it. Her appearance was deceptive, he'd picked up on that pretty fast. It was when Callen's so called ex wife, Tracy Rosetti appeared in the Naval Recruitment Centre, back in 2010. He'd seen her packing her government issued weapon into the rear of her denim jeans and his eyes had widened. She was not just any intelligence analyst, he realised. She was training to be a field agent. And so, since then, he'd put his own trust in her having his back, whenever they had to go out into the field for the team. So far, both of them had survived.

It was the action of Nell drawing out her weapon as she searched her apartment, that made Eric realise just how serious Green entering her home, actually was. "Nell. Why are you holding your weapon, if it was only Green who broke in?"

Nell turned and looked over to the Technical Operator and stared at him. _What was she to say? I know what he's done? That he's a rogue agent, worst than Paul Angelo? _A knock at the door saved her from answering him. "Deeks, Kens." Kensi pulled her into a hug, while Deeks nodded over to Eric and entered.

"Is there anything missing?" Deeks swept his gaze over the neat apartment, it being the first time he'd ever been there. He knew that Kensi had been there on numerous occasions after their girls nights out, and of course Eric and Nell were always at each others homes playing video games or watching a sci-fi movie. But until now, Deeks realised that there was very little he knew about his colleague. He looked with concern over to the petite red head.

Nell shook her head. "I've not seen anything missing as yet. I've still have the drawers and cupboard and my closet to go through." With that thought, she left the three of them standing around while she went through her things.

"This place is so neat. Like no one ever lives here." Deeks whispered, resulting in a fist punch from his partner. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"This is Nell's home, Deeks. She's OCD on being tidy and organised."

"Unlike you then." She glared at him for a moment and then shrugged.

"Yeah. Who cares. I love the feel of a place being lived in. It comforts me, okay?"

"I thought I comfort you?"

Eric cleared his throat, "TMI."

Kensi blushed and glared at Deeks again. "You happy?"

"I will be when we corner Green and get him to spill his guts about why he was in here last night."

"No. You can't." They looked over to Nell, surprised by her response.

"What do you mean, we can't?" Deeks walked over to Nell and studied her for a moment. He was a great detective and something in her eyes told him that there was more to this story than any of them knew. "Is there something going on between you and Green, Nell?"

Nell's eyes widened in horror. "No." She punched him in the arm and Deeks flinched as she'd hit him in the same spot that Kensi had, moments earlier.

"Okay! So please explain what's going on."

Nell sighed and sat down on her sofa. "Director Vance asked me to keep a close watch on Green. He's a rogue agent and Vance needs proof to put him away for good."

"How bad? And why has he been sent to OSP?" Kensi moved closer and sat down. Curiosity got the better of her.

"Pretty bad. He's burned an agent in Europe and he's been dealing with terrorists over there. Vance needed to get him away from the east coast for a while. He thought Hetty would keep a close watch on him in the meantime, seeing we were an agent down." She took in a deep breath. "I shouldn't even be telling you this, but I think now, having Green break into my apartment, the whole thing has become too much."

"What would he be looking for in here? You don't keep anything from work at home do you?" Kensi asked her again.

Nell shook her head. "No. This is the reason why I don't."

"Good." Deeks walked over to the window and scanned the area, incase Green was casing the joint. "It's not safe here for you to be on your own, Nell. Not until Green's gone."

"This is my home, Deeks. I'm not allowing Green to frighten me out of my home." She stood up and paced the room.

"Then we'll set a watch. I'll take the first shift."

"Um, how about I take the first watch." Eric spoke up, after assessing the situation. "Then you, Kens and Sam can take the ones after."

"I don't need babysitting. Gees, guys. This is me. I've fought off dangerous situations on my own before. I can handle Green." Her frustration over the team not realising how tough she was showed through.

"And we swore that we wouldn't allow you to be placed in danger on your own again." Deeks remembered clearly finding Nell on the floor of the interrogation room after her fight with Brown. He shook the memory from his mind and focused back on her. "Not after Brown, Nell. I know you did good and we're all proud of you, but we're a team. A family. We're all here for you."

"Have you told Director Vance about last night?" Kensi looked over to her friend.

"Yes. And he told me to keep living here, so Green doesn't suspect a thing. Which is why you are all going to leave me alone and go and have a fun weekend." She stood with her hands on her hips, to show them that she wasn't giving in.

"Nell's right. If Green suspects that we know, it could place Nell in more danger." Kensi furrowed her brow as she thought for a moment. "What happened to the agent he burned?"

"I can't tell you, it's classified." Nell's thoughts went back to Alex and all that she'd read about the state she was in, when Gibbs and Callen found her. She shuddered.

Kensi and Deeks picked up on her reaction and concluded that the agent had been brutally killed. "Okay. I will do it your way, for now." Deeks didn't like it, but he would suffer it for the moment. "But I can't work with Green as my partner."

"I do it then." Kensi capitulated. "Someone has to."

"No." Nell's firm response caught all three of their attentions.

"Nell?" Kensi moved over to where Nell stood.

"Green can't be partnered with a female agent. Director Vance's orders." She hoped that would be enough to suffice them.

"Was the agent he burned a female?" Kensi watched Nell's facial expressions and noted that she was right.

Deeks looked over to Kensi with concern. "We've got to get Green out of our office."

"Vance is working on it, Deeks. We just need to give it some more time."

"I'll talk to Hetty then." Deeks walked to the door, about to leave.

"She can't do anything about Green. This is above her pay grade."

Deeks shook his head. "I can't guarantee I'll keep my mouth shut, Nell. I'll give you a week."

"We'll need longer than that, Deeks. I'm sorry." Nell closed the door behind her colleagues as they left her in peace. A headache thrummed under the surface, threatening to be an all out splitting migraine. She found some pain pills and swallowed them with water.

**_Washington D.C…._**

Oscar Holden entered the door into Vance's office. "Oscar, thank you for coming in to see me."

"Leon. Is Alexandra okay?" Ever since he'd received the call from Vance's secretary, he worried about Alex. Gibbs had forwarded on news to them every few weeks and they knew that their daughter was soon to give birth to another child. Things had gone better for her and they were pleased, although they missed her and Katie, terribly.

"She's safe and well, if that's what you're asking. But there is a problem." Leon shifted the folder on his desk and pushed it over to Oscar. "It's what we've found in these documents, that concerns us."

Oscar pulled his glasses out and started to read the file. He looked up and met Leon's eyes. "She knows this?"

"Our analyst sent the information to her last night. We have no idea if she's read it yet, or if Callen's seen it."

Oscar sighed and laid back into the black leather chair. "We never told her that she was adopted. It was a closed adoption for her safety. Her mother was found murdered and Alex was crying beside her. At only eighteen months of age, she was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. My unit was called in to take over from the local police, seeing she wasn't a citizen. The case still hasn't been solved, after all of these years."

"So the murderer is still out there?" Oscar nodded. "Do you know who Alex's mother was?"

"Only that she was a Romanian national." Oscar noticed the look in Leon's eyes. "You know more about Alexandra's mother?"

"Unfortunately, we do know a great deal about her mother's family." Leon handed another file over to him to read.

Oscar sped read the details and furrowed his brow. "It says in here that they are a well known crime family. None of our searches came up with anything on the woman, to suspect that her murder had anything to do with her family. How come the FBI didn't have details to this family?"

"That's what I'm trying to establish. It goes back to near the end of World War two, when King Michael asked our government to help take down his own people who helped the Nazis. A unit of OSS officers moved in and killed three members of the Comescus. The team leader of this unit moved to Romania a few years later and married a local woman and had a daughter. But what he didn't know, was that the sons of these Comescu men, vowed to kill the leader of this team. They recognised him in Constanta and killed him. His wife fled the country with their daughter and lived with her husband's family. Many years later, the daughter followed in her father's footsteps and became a CIA officer. Due to her skills in speaking fluent Romanian, she was sent there on assignment. She went underground for a few years and begged her handler to get her and her children out. The woman was murdered on a beach in front of her children, before her handler could get there. Her children were rescued by a trusted friend of their father's and they were brought back to America. The blood feud continues to this day between these two families." Leon took a sip of water and allowed Oscar to absorb the information.

"The children, are they still alive?" The redacted file removed the names of the OSS officers, the CIA officer and the names of her children.

"It's well known that her son is still alive. Over his lifetime, the Comescus have tried to kill him. Only because of one person, who tried their best to hide him in the system, is he alive today. It came to our attention that the daughter died many years ago."

"So he's still in danger from them?"

"Yes he is and any children he may have. They want the whole bloodline killed."

"May have? You don't know?"

"Until a while ago, I didn't think he had, but I've learned of more recent times that he has a daughter and a son on the way." Leon watched recognition of who he was talking about light up in Oscar's eyes.

"Callen. The Comescus are after him?" He furrowed his brow and the complexity of the circumstances sunk in. "Alex's mother was a Comescu, which makes Alex…"

"A descendant of the Comescus. Enemy to the Callen family."

"I've got to see them. They've been through so much already, I need to talk to both of them." He looked down at the details. He'd had no idea about the history of Alex's real family and shook his head. Fear for his daughter, son in law and grandchildren, one who was still not due to be born for another two months, grew within him. "What have I done?"

"You had no idea, Oscar. Someone tried to wipe this under the carpet, but all it's done is place more people in danger. Who knew about the adoption and where Alex came from?"

"Beside my team and the local Police officers who arrived on scene, an old friend of mine, whose a judge. It was kept secret to protect Alex, incase whoever killed her mother came after her."

"Can I see the file from that case?" Leon's mind was ticking over faster than he was prepared for. Who killed this woman and why? Calin Comescu who was married to Dimitri Vadim, moved to America around the time Callen and his sister moved to America. Was the timing a coincidence, or did her family send her to America to keep a close watch on the two Callen children? Since the woman was murdered, no one would ever know. There was something in Leon Vance's gut that told him that he just might know who would have the answers to all of these questions. It was time he flew to Los Angeles to see his people over there and deal with Adam Green once and for all. Green might have been a great distraction for Hetty to keep her from finding Callen and Alex, but Nell and the rest of the team's lives were in danger. He couldn't wait any further.

"I'll have someone send it over to you, Leon."

A knock on the door, caught their attention.

"Hi Gibbs." Oscar stood and greeted his old friend with a man hug. "It's good to see you again. Thank you for all the updates on Alex and Katie. We really appreciate them."

"Hi Oscar. You too." He shrugged. "That's what friends do." He looked over to Vance. "Have you finished updating him?"

"You can take Oscar with you now, Gibbs. Let me know how the visit goes."

Oscar looked between the two men and realised his wish to see his daughter had been granted.

"I'm taking you to see Alex and Katie, Oscar. Are you ready?"

"Yes. I just need to let Christine know I'll be away for a few days." He typed a text to advise her that an old case became hot and he'd be gone a while. After he'd received her reply, he quickly sent another text to his contacts at the Bureau to send the case file to Vance, and then he switched his cell off and handed it to Leon. "This is to make sure I'm untraceable."

Leon nodded and watched them leave for their chartered flight to Santa Barbara. He hoped Oscar could help Callen and Alex deal with this information. He'd contacted Nate Getz as soon as he'd read the file, knowing that Callen and Alex would need him.

_A/N: Any clue on what Leon Vance suspects? For Fart Fart, yes, Gibbs is coming to visit them. It just worked out that I needed Gibbs to take Oscar anyway. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review. _


	20. Chapter 20

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. _

**Chapter 20**

**_Santa Barbara…_**

The night with Callen and Alex had been more awkward than Sam had expected and knew that something was bothering both of them, no matter how much they tried to hide it. He knew his partner too well and called him on it.

"I know that something is bothering you, G. You and Alex, is everything okay?" They had been fine the weekend before, but with their history, he couldn't help worrying.

"I can't talk to you about it, Sam." Callen took in a ragged breath, trying hard to rein in his emotions. But it was no good. He'd had a sleepless night and he worried about Alex and their baby. The stress wasn't good and he'd heard her mumble and toss in her sleep, her nightmares had returned.

"Is there something wrong with the baby?" Although Alex appeared fine when he'd arrived, he asked anyway.

Callen shook his head and then it dawned on him. "The envelope. The information Nell asked me to bring up. What was in it, G?"

"I can't tell you, Sam. It's highly confidential."

"It's no good, G. You need to talk to somebody about it. You might as well tell him. He's your partner after all." Alex sat down beside him and snuggled in close. The shadows under eyes had returned and she felt so tired. Eight weeks, that was all she had to endure until their son arrived. But now, she worried that she wouldn't make it. Callen wrapped his arms around her, relaxing Sam's fears a bit, but still he worried about them.

"You sure?" Alex nodded. He looked to Sam and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He took in a deep breath and tried again. He rubbed his hand over his face and kissed Alex on the temple. He loved her and he needed to show her that he still loved her, no matter who her birth mother was. The fact that she was dead, and Alex had been raised by the Holdens, provided the reassurance that they would get through this.

"We know why Hetty tried to keep us apart."

Sam leaned forward in his chair, waiting quietly for Callen to continue.

"Nell found proof that Alex was adopted. The problem lies with who her real mother was."

"Who was she?" Callen stood and ran upstairs to find the file and brought it down to show Sam. It was easier this way. He showed Sam the birth certificate and the family photo. "Their names are on the back," he told Sam, although he could read the names of her real parents on the birth certificate.

Sam studied the documents and the photo. He looked up at Alex and back at the photo. "Are you sure this is you?" He couldn't believe it. He'd gone with Callen to rescue Hetty from the Comescu beach house back in 2011. Together, with Deeks and Kensi, they'd killed some of them and those who worked for them. Hunter she'd killed Alexa Comescu and then in Hawaii, Callen killed Dracul and two years ago, he killed more of them, to save him from them. And yet, here was one of them, married to his partner for sixteen years, with two children, with no knowledge that she was one of them and should hate her husband. Her mother's murder had changed the course of history, now she carried his name, Callen, and bore his children. It was a great deal to get his head around and he understood why Callen and Alex were struggling with the news.

"So your parents never told you that you were adopted?"

"No. When I turned eighteen, they gave me an album, but I never noticed the envelope in the back with my adoption papers and birth certificate, until yesterday. After looking at that photo, I recognised myself. I pulled the album out and realised there were no baby photos of me in there. Now I know why."

"Do we know what happened to your parents? We know what happened to your sister, Elena."

"G told me. I would like to meet her. She is my blood." She saw the hesitation in Callen's eyes, the worry of what the reunion might do to them.

"What about the other Comescus?" Sam needed to get this out in the open, how Alex felt about them.

"No. After what I read in the file, there's no way I want anything to do with them."

"Your parents?"

"If they're still alive, I have no idea. How did I end up being adopted, if they're still alive?"

"You think something happened to them?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it? Somehow, I ended up a Holden, with my parents raising me as if I was their child, not someone else's."

"Your father used to work in the FBI. Perhaps it was from a case he'd worked on." Callen's mind sped through a whole lot of ideas, of what had happened and how Alex came to becoming their daughter. Like Alex, he too, came to the conclusion, that both of her parents had been killed.

"That's what I thought too. I need to speak with him." A sudden pain surged through Alex's belly, causing her to flinch. She took in a deep breath and slowly released it.

"Ally?"

"We better get her to the hospital, G. The baby's coming early." Sam knew the signs, he'd been through it, twice before. Not that his kids came eight weeks early, but he knew the signs of a pregnant woman in labour.

Callen helped Alex off the sofa and ran for the bag. Fortunately, Alex had it prepared early. "I better call the Shepherds and let them know what's happening, incase we can't pick Katie up tomorrow." He dialled the home phone and spoke to Nick, Yasmin's father, remembering their alias names. "They'll keep Katie with them until we can pick her up. So we don't need to worry about her."

"Can they be trusted, G?" Sam worried for Katie's safety.

"She's in safe hands, Sam. Nick's a cop. She couldn't be in safer hands." Sam nodded, relieved that of all places, Katie was staying in a cop's family home. He also saw the relief in Callen and Alex's expressions over where Katie was.

It only took Callen five minutes to drive to the local hospital and Alex was taken in immediately. She knew the small hospital well, having been there for her obstetrician visits throughout her pregnancy. Sam waited in the waiting room, thankful that this time, no one had been shot. He had too many memories of waiting in a similar waiting room, to hear if his partner had lived or died from his injuries.

A heart beat monitor was strapped to Alex's belly and an ultrasound unit was rolled into the room. "Let's take a look at this baby of yours." The attending doctor had examined her and saw that she was already seven centimetres dilated. "This one's coming fast. We need to get her into the birthing suite immediately. Call her obstetrician and get her in here stat." He turned to another midwife, who was monitoring the baby's heart beat. "We need one of our top paediatricians in too, to monitor the baby once it's born, to ensure it's breathing on it's own." The doctor was well aware how imperative it was to get the best staff in there for this baby, to ensure it survived, seeing it was eight weeks early. Just to be on the safe side. He'd delivered many premature babies and the hospital boasted it's neonatal and paediatric units of excellence. But they still couldn't relax and allow anything to go wrong.

Alex held on to Callen's hand, breathing through each contraction. Callen was amazed at Alex's strength, not shouting out or anything. Instead she breathed through each one. He held his other hand over her belly and felt the tightening with each contraction. It was such an amazing event for him. He'd never been through child birth before, other than his own, and thankfully, he had no memory of it. But this was more incredible than he'd read in the books. He continued to watch Alex in awe as her body prepared for delivery and she continued to breath and not push, as the doctor instructed. The doors opened and closed and a woman entered with a trolley. She stood back and watched and Callen realised what the trolley was. It was a small bed for a baby, with equipment and tubes sitting underneath, just in case. The paediatrician, he realised, waiting to take their son and check him out, once he'd made his way into the world. Samuel was coming to meet them sooner than either of them had expected. Worry and excitement intermingled within him. He kissed Ally on her temple and whispered words of encouragement and love.

A woman in her forties entered and a smile crept over her face. "Someone's eager to meet his parents." Karen Elliot walked over and took over from Dr Turner. "Hi Kelly, Tom. Are you ready to meet your son?"

They nodded, knowing it was going to happen whether they were ready or not.

"Tom, could you hold Kelly from behind her shoulders to support her. On the next contraction, Kelly, I want you to push and help your son." Alex nodded, concentrating on Karen and no one else in the room.

It was good to push, Alex knew this feeling. When it got to this point in the labour, it was all that you wanted to do, but she knew it was important to listen to when it was time and breathe through the contractions before then. There was no use in exhausting herself more than she had to.

**_Los Angeles, nine hours later…_**

Adam Green couldn't believe it. He'd bumped into an old contact from his time in Donetsk, in a club on Saturday night. "Sasha. What are you doing in L.A.?"

"Hello Adam. Roman wants to know what happened to you. It's taken me a while to find you. We have a problem." Sasha gulped down the brown liquid, burning in his throat.

"I've had problems of my own to deal with. My boss moved me to L.A. They keep telling me it's temporary, but I've been here for over a year now." Green sat beside the Ukrainian national and ordered the same whiskey as his contact. "What kind of problem?"

"That woman you told Roman was a spy for your government."

"Alexandra Holden. Yeah, what about her?"

"No one knows what happened to her or the men who traded her with some microchips."

"She's still alive?" All this time, Green was reassured that Alex was dead, no longer a problem to reveal his secrets.

"Not sure. The men who took her, they were Russian arms dealers, but they too have vanished from the face of the earth. None of Roman's contacts can find them."

"Why is Roman searching for them? Surely if they are who you say they are, and they have the woman, what's it to us?"

"The microchips were infected with a virus. All the weapons you gave us, are useless."

The reality of the situation hit Green like a ton of bricks. "You think these arms dealers were spies too?"

"Yes. We think they rescued the woman. Someone went to Washington to find her. Not even Katya, the woman she was travelling with, has seen her since. Her daughter is no longer at the school where Katya's son goes to, either. Our searches have come up empty."

Green rubbed his face with his hand and pondered over everything that Sasha told him. He thought about the timing of his transfer, three weeks after he'd last seen Alex. The fact that no one has ever told him who he was filling in for, raised his curiosity. "Do you have photos of these men?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Sash handed over the images Roman had printed out from their security cameras as a precaution. But the men were ghosts. Just like the woman.

"No. This can be…"

"What is it? You know these men?"

"Yes. They are both Federal Agents for NCIS. They used to work with the woman." He bashed his fist hard on the bar and cringed when pain shot up his arm. "You better leave. I have a feeling I'm being watched."

Sasha looked around, but as far as he could see, no one appeared to be watching them. He thought Green was paranoid, but the fact that he knew these men, he decided to capitulate and stood to leave. "Take care, Adam. Roman has a position for you, if you can't stay here."

Green gulped down another tumbler of whiskey, as anger surged through him. Owen Granger's interrogations made sense to him now. He was being played with. _That bastard. I'll show him what happens to those who mess with me._ He stood to leave, but he was trapped. Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye stood in front of him.

"Green. Fancy bumping into you here. Who was your friend?" Deeks studied the man. An urgent call from Owen Granger came through, ordering them to follow Green closely. They were happy to do so after his breaking into Nell's apartment, the night before.

"Dunno, just met him." Green shrugged.

"You sure? Cause from where we were standing, he looked like he knew you pretty well." Deeks moved closer to block his path. "You're coming with us, so what's it going to be? Handcuffs or you going to behave?"

"You think you're better than me? You all go around acting as if you're high and mighty. Well I've got news for you. You aren't the boss of me, so get out of my face." Green shoved Deeks away, but before he could get out of there, Kensi pushed him to the ground and wrestled him, until she had both of his hands in cuffs.

Deeks hauled him up onto his feet. "Time for us to have a little chat, Green. About a lot of things."

Kensi and Deeks led Green out of the club and shoved him into the rear seat of the SUV. They drove to the boat shed, meandering around, just incase Green's friend tried to follow them.

_A/N: Looks like news from Vance to Granger to deal with Green happened just in time. But Alex and Callen are in more trouble, with Roman looking for them and Gibbs. And what timing, with the arrival of their son. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	21. Chapter 21

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Time for things to come to a head, don't you think?_

**Chapter 21**

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Samuel was perfect. Blond haired and blue eyes, just like his father and sister. Although, to those around them, Callen's eyes and hair had been changed, for his alias as Tom Sheers. So the vivid blue eyes that stared up at them, were a surprise to their obstetrician. Not that Karen Eliot said anything. She left Kelly and Tom alone to bond with their son, who, thankfully was doing well, considering his early arrival. He was to stay in the neonatal unit for a few weeks, until he was strong and big enough, to go home.

Callen watched Alex feed Samuel with awe. A tear escaped his eyes, as he realised that he'd missed this with Katie, ten years earlier. Each moment with loved ones were precious and he was determined to ensure he spent as much time with each of their children, until the day he died. He was a father again, this time to a son and his heart swelled inside his chest. He gently pressed his lips to his son's temple, as he sucked nourishment from his mother's breast. This was what mattered in life, Callen realised. Family was his number one priority.

"I love you, Al," he whispered. Although a midwife sat with another baby over on the other side of the room, he needed to tell his wife how he felt, not how his alias felt. He kissed her lips with his, and the love he felt for her magnified by more than he ever thought that he could feel for another person. "You were amazing." He looked at his tiny son, five pounds exactly. So small, yet very much a living human being. "I'm going to teach you all that you need to know in this life, Sam. We're going to play basketball, wrestle, kick a soccer ball around and surf the waves. And one day, I'll tell you about girls and how to find the one. Just like how I found your mom."

Tears streaked down Alex's cheeks, listening to Callen talking to their son. Life was perfect, for the four of them, all they needed now, was for Katie to come and meet her little brother. But that will have to wait till the morning. It was late now and as she placed him in his crib, she gently kissed his forehead. "Sweet dreams, little one. Mommy and Daddy will be back in the morning."

Callen led Alex back to her room, Sam had left soon after the news of Samuel's arrival had come through, so he could spend the remainder of his weekend with his own wife and daughter. He had the biggest grin on his face, when he met his namesake. He couldn't have been any happier for his partner at that moment. Although, he knew that a dark shadow hung over their heads, but for now, they all focused on the happy event of the safe arrival of their son.

**_Boat Shed, Los Angeles…_**

Owen Granger flew back to Los Angeles after he'd had word from Nell and Vance about Green. But it was the latest intel that Nell had found, that had Granger worried. Somehow, Nell had managed to return to her real home, and spent the rest of her Saturday searching for more evidence to sink Green. Anger from him breaking into her apartment, drove her with determination to end him for good. Like Sam, she no longer wanted him in OSP. And now, since she had told Eric, Deeks and Kensi about Green being rogue, they too, felt the same. It was time, Nell decided, to bring him down, to face the full consequences of the law, for what he had done.

A known associate of Roman Basara's had been found entering the country in D.C., a week ago. Then she'd traced his movements across the country, to Los Angeles. Alex was in danger. She'd found communication between Roman and this man, Sasha Malis. They were looking for Alex, Callen and Gibbs. So Owen put Deeks and Kensi to shadow Green.

Owen Granger entered the boat shed and found Deeks and Kensi sitting by the screen, watching Green. Adam Green sat in one of the interrogations rooms with his eyes glaring at the camera. The look creeped them out, how had they worked along side him for over a year?

"How come we were never told about Green's history?" Kensi needed to know why they had been left in the dark with him.

"It was a need to know, Agent Blye." He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and gulped the contents down. "Now you need to know."

He strode into the room and sat opposite Green. They'd been there before, but now Green knew the game.

"Agent Green." Owen opened up a rather large file that Nell had gathered for him and pulled out the first photo and placed it facing Green.

"Tell me about Agent Holden, in Donetsk." The games were over, it was time to dive in and get to the bottom of what Green had done.

"Never seen her before." Green shrugged.

"Look, Green. We know. We know all about your dirty little secrets. It's time for your to come clean. You're going away for a real long time, whether you tell me what I want to know, or not."

"Why bother then." Green was sharp and pigheaded. He knew how to play these games, now he knew what the game was and he was no longer in the dark.

"Okay. So how about I run over all the evidence that we have on you and then you'll understand the charges laid against you." Granger was best when playing hardball. He didn't care whether Green cooperated or not. It was time.

"Agent Alexandra Holden was travelling with a mom from her daughter's school back to Donetsk, for her mother's funeral. She spotted you trading U.S. weapons to Roman Basara, so you burned her. Told Roman that she was a Federal Agent. You allowed Roman to take her and her friend hostage, where she was starved, beaten and raped for two weeks. You didn't care what happened to her, as long as she wasn't around to tell anyone about you. Isn't that right, Agent Green?"

Green sat still, staring into space. He'd been caught, but there was no way he was going to admit his guilt. As far as he was concerned, he was innocent to the things that Roman had done to Alex.

"She would have died, had she not had a backup in place to rescue her. Agents Gibbs and Callen went into Donetsk to trade with Roman for Agent Holden's life. Old aliases that she knew would get them into eastern Ukraine to rescue her, if she didn't arrive home by the set time she'd told Director Vance. You see, Green, her time there was under approval from the Director for the agency that you work for."

Kensi and Deeks eyes widened and looked over at each other. So that's why Vance pulled Callen away from L.A., in the first place. Small footsteps hardly made it to Deeks and Kensi's hearing, as Henrietta Lange entered the boat shed.

"Hetty." Both Deeks and Kensi felt like they had betrayed their boss, going behind her back for Granger.

"It's okay, Mr Deeks, Miss Blye. I know Granger has ordered you to follow Green, I only wished I had been kept in the loop." She sat with them and watched the interview, holding in her anger, as she heard about Callen going to Donetsk to rescue Alexandra Holden. For years she'd tried hard to keep him away from her, but now, her efforts had been futile. She pursed her lips together and held it in, until she could speak with Owen. But as she listened, she knew this had gone above Owen and had come from Leon Vance himself. She sighed, annoyed that their Director refused to trust her, when it came to her motives.

"So she's alive then. What's that got to do with me?" Green sneered over to Granger, annoyed.

"Sasha Malis." Owen Granger placed a photograph of the Ukranian on the table. Detective Deeks and Agent Blye, caught the two of you together at a club tonight. Malis is a well known associate of Basara's. What did he want?"

"Dunno. Never met him before." He bored his eyes into Granger's. He was a stubborn one, whom Granger would get great joy over pulling him apart. But the orders stood as they were from Vance. He could interrogate him, but it was left for someone else to pull him apart. Yet, he could think of many more who would line up behind them to take their turn.

"Do you really thing that we're that stupid, Green." He pulled out photo evidence of Green's dealing not only with Malis, but also Basara. His contacts in Russia had come through for him and they'd finally had the evidence that they needed to end Green for good.

Green furrowed his brow, anger surged through him and he wrestled his restraints as he looked at Granger. "Where did you get theses? These have been altered, you're setting me up."

"Shall I bring Agent Holden in here to deal with you in person, because I know she would love to pull you apart, after what Basara did to her?" Owen folded his arms over his chest, pleased with himself.

"You lie. She has no proof either that I was ever there." His voice faltered and he looked up to the camera, thinking that Alex was out in the other room waiting for him.

"Oh she's not here. Not yet anyway. You see, because of you, she's had to go into hiding, she's been given a new life with her husband and daughter. Oh, yes, you heard me right there, Green. She is married, has been for a real long time. And you know who to, don't you? And I see it in your eyes, you're scared of him."

Hetty fisted her hands under the table, but hid her anger from Deeks and Kensi. She controlled her breathing to keep the anger from bubbling to the surface. _So that's where Callen has been all of this time. Back with that Comescu. _Hetty stood up and entered the interrogation room. "Owen."

"Now's not a good time, Henrietta." Owen growled, annoyed that she was there.

"I think now is the perfect time. He's not talking anyway." She stood firm and gave him the gorgon stare, until he capitulated.

Owen Granger knew now that she was there, that she had heard him tell Green about Alex and Callen.

"How long have you known that Mr Callen was with Miss Holden?" She studied him as he formulated his reply.

"Since April of last year." He wasn't afraid of Hetty and he no longer cared that she'd found out.

"So you have known that Mr Callen was with Miss Holden for all of this time and not once did you think it wise to divulge this information to me?" Her eyes widened as she spoke.

"I was told not to tell you."

"By whom?"

"Agent Holden."

Hetty took a few deep breaths in and slowly released them, before continuing. "Do you know who she is?"

"Yes, I do. Agent Callen's wife, who you told not to follow him to Los Angeles, eleven years ago." He looked over and saw Deeks and Kensi look at each other with surprise. "You have a lot to answer for, Henrietta. Your boy, as you call him, is not your boy. He never was. He was Clara's son. Who gave you the right to screw up his life after Clara's death?" He'd kept his control for years over Callen, but now, he found he could no longer hold it in.

"Screw his life up? Everything I've done for that boy, was to keep him alive. To protect him from his fate of being killed by the Comescus. But instead, you have allowed him to be with her and deliberately hid it from me." Her anger surfaced and her voice raised across the room.

"Alex had no idea until last night, that she was adopted, never mind that her mother was a Comescu. You had no right to keep them apart. You've got to stop manipulating people's lives. You should have told me about Callen once you had found him."

"Tell you? Why is that, Owen? So you and those at Langley could train him up to be an agent at their disposal?"

"Is that what you think of me, for all the years that we've known each other, you think that's what I wanted for Clara's son?"

Hetty narrowed her eyes and looked at him, confused. "You loved her." Realisation hit her immediately. How had she missed this?

"Of course I loved her, she was my best friend and my cousin." Deeks and Kensi felt they were front row to something that should have remained in private quarters. Granger was cousin to Callen's mom? No wonder why he tried so hard to ensure Callen remained safe.

"Your cousin?" Hetty's voice raised in pitch as surprised flashed through her. "You never said."

"If you had told me about Callen, I could have told you about the Callen family. My mother was George Callen's younger sister. After George died, Suzana fled to the states and she and Clara lived with us. We grew up more like brother and sister, than cousins. We even joined the CIA together."

Hetty sat down in the arm chair, the news that Owen had been Callen's family rocked her. "So if I had told your about him, he could have grown up with his family."

"Yes. Like Amy did."

"But she died."

"No she didn't. We faked her death, to keep her safe."

"Does Mr Callen know about any of this?"

"I've told him. He's met his father too. Nikita only had an hour with him, before Callen had to leave with his family."

"Does he know his name?"

"Yes. But I'll let him tell you that, once it's safe for his return." Owen sat down on the sofa, placing his hands on his knees. "But we have to deal with Green and Roman Basara and his men, before it will be safe for Callen and Alex to return.

Footsteps announced that they had company. Leon Vance entered the boat shed and felt the tension in the room. "Director." Deeks and Kensi stood to greet him."

Leon nodded and looked over to where Granger and Hetty sat. The look on their faces said it all. "Owen, Hetty. Does this mean that the two of you have talked?"

Owen stood and shook Leon's hand. "It does." He looked over to Deeks and Kensi. "You can leave now. Thanks for bringing Green in. See you on Monday."

Deeks shook his head as they climbed into the SUV. "Wow. That was the biggest of wowsers. Not only about Granger and Callen being related and that he has met his father, but that he's married to a Comescu. Did you hear that?"

"Yeah I did. Do you think that Callen knows who Alex is? It makes sense now, why he's been away so long and why Vance pulled him to D.C. last year."

"And why Hetty was kept in the dark. She's done everything to keep Callen safe from the Comescus, only for him to marry one. Yeah, I can see why she's angry."

"And have a daughter with. I can't believe that Callen kept that from us. Do you thing that Sam knows?" Kensi thought over Sam's behaviour.

"Yes. Remember when Hetty made us swap partners? I reckon that was when Sam found out about Green and what he'd done to Callen's wife. If makes sense as to why we saw Sam and Nell disappear into the burn room to talk too."

"Yes, I agree. Nell's known all this time. Hetty's not going to like this."

"I don't think Hetty knows about Nell." Deeks raised a brow, pondering. "Nell came here soon after I did, right?"

"Yes."

"How much longer after that, did Granger appear?"

Kensi's eyes widened. "No. You don't think Granger planted Nell in here to spy on Hetty, do you?"

"None of us know for sure. But Hetty usually vets and chooses her own people. Nell was the perfect fit. What if Granger and Vance planted Nell for Hetty to choose. I mean, it would make sense all that running around that Nell does around the office. She would be the perfect mole."

"Nell, a mole?"

"For the Director of NCIS."

Kensi laughed.

"You think this is funny?"

"Listen to you, Deeks. I know that everyone is suspicious after the mole incident, but this is ridiculous. How could Nell be a mole for the Director?"

"Well, apparently, Eric told me that when we were all in Prague and Romania, Vance would only privy Nell to Hetty's file."

"Nell's seen Hetty's file?"

"Gathering intel for Granger and Vance. Didn't Granger just say that Alexandra Holden had only learned that she was adopted last night?"

Kensi furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. Back to Granger's interrogation with Green and his conversation with Hetty. "She could have learned that from her parents. We have no proof. No. I'm not buying it. Granger probably ordered Nell to work quietly on this other case, she works on other cases for different units all the time."

"Maybe." But Deeks was so sure that he was right. "Maybe I'll just have to ask her."

_A/N: Finally, Green is going down. But it doesn't look like Alex and Callen are safe yet? Far from it, from the sound of it. Looks like Deeks is on to something. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	22. Chapter 22

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Now to solve the mystery, who is Hetty and why she did what she's done over the years._

**Chapter 22**

**_Boat Shed…_**

Leon Vance looked over at Henrietta Lange as he sat in the chair opposite her. In the next room, Owen Granger was interviewing their rogue agent, Adam Green. "I need some answers from you, Henrietta."

"You need answers from me? I think I deserve answers from you, Leon. After sixteen months of being kept in the dark over where Mr Callen has been, only discover he's deep undercover with Agent Holden. When did you stop trusting me, Leon?"

Leon Vance shuffled in his chair, the woman before him's reputation of making grown men quake wasn't far from the truth. "Okay, fair enough. What is it that you want to know?" If he wanted the truth from the older woman, then he'd play the game.

"Well for starters, why was I never told about where Mr Callen was sent to?"

"Agent Holden requested that you were kept in the dark."

"And you just listened to her?"

"You took her husband away and told her not to come to Los Angeles, Hetty. Now why would you split them up?"

"To protect him." Hetty huffed out her frustrations. "She's a Comescu, Leon. I needed to get him away from her, before it was too late. I had no idea that they were married or had a daughter together."

"She was eighteen months old when her mother was murdered, she has no memory of her life before she came to live with the Holdens. Why would you think that she was a danger to Agent Callen?"

"Because it's in her blood. It's a Romani thing, Leon. You wouldn't understand. It doesn't matter who raises you, who you were born to be is much stronger."

"Nature versus nurture. However, I disagree with you. Alex hasn't shown any hatred towards Agent Callen, in fact, the complete opposite. She's put up with being abandoned, while pregnant with their daughter, until she decided enough was enough. For their daughter, she made the move for Callen to return. She accepted him, never stopped loving him and forgave him. Does that sound like a Comescu to you?"

Hetty shook her head. "No, it doesn't." She sighed and walked over to the kitchenette.

"Then why didn't you trust that Alex wouldn't hurt him?"

"Because her mother was sent to America to find Clara's children and to kill them. That's why…why I had to do what I did." Her hand shook, knowing it was too late now, not to admit to her sins.

"You killed Calin Comescu to protect Agent Callen?" Leon had suspected, the moment Oscar had told him about Calin's murder.

"Yes." Her voice was barely a whisper. She turned to face the Director. "It was the hardest thing I had to do. Seeing the fear and tears in that baby's blue eyes, when I killed her mother. She saw me do it, Leon. And I've lived with the guilt of my sins ever since. So I kept an ear to the ground, followed the FBI's case from afar and found where Alexa ended up. I watched her grow into the beautiful woman that she now it, but I never expected her to become an NCIS agent and work alongside Mr Callen. It almost killed me to know how close she was to him. A Comescu. So I offered him a job over here, to keep a close watch over him. But he wanted me to offer her a position in the team as well. That was his condition. I had no idea that they were in love and married with a baby on the way." She sat back down, holding the tea cup in her hand. She inhaled the soothing beverage and sipped it's contents. "I was too late. Too late to prevent this."

"Why has it meant so much to you to protect Agent Callen?" They still hadn't found out who she really was, but she'd slipped up moments earlier, about it being a Romani thing. That he wouldn't understand.

"I failed to protect their mother. Clara was so much like her mother, Suzana. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her at Langley. We became friends and I was assigned as her handler for her operation in Romania. Orders prevented me from getting them out of Constanta, before the Comescus killed her. I still have no idea how Mr Callen and his sister made it to America. It was two years later, when I found a very scared boy in an orphanage, too scared to talk."

"You knew Clara Callen's mother?"

Hetty nodded. "Before Suzana married George Callen, she used to take care of me, when I was growing up. She was fifteen years older than me and we lived in the same town. Everyone feared the Comescus, but Suzana didn't. She was kind to me, when everyone else feared to be near me. I hated my family and who I was. George Callen killed my father, I should have hated all the Callens. But George loved Suzana and so did I. And when Clara was born, I used to sneak over there and play with her. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. And so happy. After my older brother killed George, I ran away. Learned to speak English and changed my name and came to America."

"That's why you bear the Romani wheel tattoo on your arm. You are a Comescu."

Anger surged through her body at the reminder. "I've tried, for Suzana and Clara to make up for what my family did to their family. They didn't deserve to die. So I made it my life's work to protect who was left."

"Agent Callen and his sister."

"Yes."

"That's why you went to Prague and Romania to protect Callen back in 2011."

"Yes. But Alexa, she had no idea who I was. I didn't think that I had changed that much. I was her cousin. Familia. I showed her the tattoo, but she didn't believe me."

"That's why she shot you."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you just sit Agent Callen down and explain this to him?"

"How could I? I'm the enemy."

"So is Alex, as far as her blood goes, but that doesn't make her the enemy, Hetty. What is your real name?"

"Erika Carmen Comescu. Born a Comescu, but I have hated them for what they did to the Callen family. So I denied my birthright and forged a new life in a new country."

"United States of America." Hetty nodded. "That's how you knew about Calin Comescu's orders to find the Callen children and kill them."

"Yes."

Leon sat back in the chair and thought over the situation. As far as he could see, Alex and Hetty were related. Calin Comescu was Hetty's cousin. The relationship between Hetty and Alex was the same as Granger's to Callen. He rubbed his hand over his face, before looking over to Hetty. "I think we need you to tell this to both Callen and Alex. They need to hear this from you. It's the only way for you all to move forward."

"How can I tell her that I killed her mother?"

"She'll understand that you had to do what you did. Being the mother of two Callen children, will provide Alex with the understanding on what one must do to protect them. Her children are at threat by her own blood. Think about how she must be feeling, Hetty? She only found out last night that she was adopted and that her mother was a Comescu. Enemy to the Callens. She will need your support that she's not like the rest of her family."

"I don't know if I can, Leon. To look her in the eye and tell her what I did."

A creak on the floor notified them to the intruder. Leon and Hetty turned to look at who had entered the boat shed undetected. The figure moved out from the shadows, tears falling down his face, from hearing the truth about what happened and why she had done what she had.

Hetty stood up and walked over towards him. "Mr Callen, I almost didn't recognise you." It was that lost look that gave him away, tearing pieces from her heart.

"You should have told me, Hetty. I trusted you with my life. With everything. But because you didn't trust me with the truth, I've lost ten years with my wife and daughter, that I can never get back. I don't know if I can ever trust you again, or forgive you." Callen stayed where he was, where it was safe to bolt if he needed to.

"Agent Callen, why are you here?" Leon walked over to close the distance.

"I need to see him. Green. Where is he?" At that same time, Owen Granger's voice echoed through the building from his raised voice. Callen moved over to the screen and watched Owen interrogate Green. He went to go in, but Vance stopped him. "He almost killed my wife, Vance. You know how that feels."

Straight to the heart, he went. Leon Vance nodded and allowed Callen access.

"You should have stopped him, Leon."

"He's right, Hetty. I know exactly what that feels like." Hetty gently placed her hand on his arm, knowing too well what he'd been through.

The door pushed open and Owen was surprised to see Callen enter the room. "Agent Callen…"

Callen hauled Green from off the chair and pushed him against the wall. "You are the lowest of lows, who doesn't deserve to live another day on this planet."

"Agent Callen." Owen Granger pulled Callen from off Green. "This isn't the way to get justice."

Callen's eyes glared at Green, his jaw tensed and every muscle under the skin pulled tight. "What about justice for Alex? Doesn't she have the right to feel safe? But no, she can't as long as this bastard is alive." Callen punched Green in the stomach, watching him curl up from pain and stepped away.

"You shouldn't be in here."

"Vance gave me permission. I have the right to be here." He leaned back against the wall, as Granger assisted Green back into the chair.

"You saw what he did to me, he assaulted me."

"Shut up, Green, or I'll let him loose on you again." Owen Granger growled. "You lost your rights, when you burned Agent Holden and killed Sandra Duncan." Granger saw the look of surprise in his eyes. "Don't look shocked, Green. Who do you think called LAPD to break into her house and found her dead body? Me, that's right. You've been living free on borrowed time, Green. We have all the evidence to put you away for a real long time. You have two choices. Shut up and accept the consequences for your actions, or you spill your guts and tell us what we want to know."

Callen's eyes widened over the news that Green had killed a woman, under their watch.

"How did you know?"

"You were found on video footage from neighbouring houses, leaving Sandra Duncan's house. Then you asked for a new vehicle, stating that your newly issued one had broken down on you. You were sent to L.A. to be watched closely, so it didn't take us long to watch you slip up."

"It was an accident."

"If it was an accident, you should have called it in."

"I was drunk, and I had no idea what had happened until I woke up the next morning. I panicked."

"Oh that would go down well in court. A Federal Agent panicked, but managed to clean the crime scene." Owen shook his head. "We've got a record of all the dealings that you've made in eastern Europe, especially with Roman Basara." Owen pushed a notepad over to him. "Write it all down." He stood up to leave and urged Callen to come with him.

Callen fisted his hands, trying to resist the urge to punch Green again. He'd listened to all that Granger had on him and with the knowledge that Green was going away for a long time, he followed Granger out the door.

"Do you feel any better, Callen?" Owen turned and faced him.

"Knowing that he's going away for a long time, gives me some peace of mind." Callen poured his own cup of tea and sat down at the table. He stared into the dainty cup that reminded him so much of Hetty. He looked up and caught her gaze. He said nothing to her, but the look he gave her, said a thousand words. He turned his attention to Vance and Granger, ignoring her.

"Is it safe for us to come home yet?"

"No." Owen Granger handed Callen another file. "Unfortunately, Roman Basara has been looking for Alex, Gibbs and yourself. He's not happy about the microchips you traded with him." He pulled out his cell and pressed play. "Deeks and Blye recorded this earlier tonight at a club. A known associate of Basara's met Green there. Sasha Malis. Green identified you and Gibbs as Federal Agents for NCIS. All three of your identities have now been burned by Green."

Callen rushed from the room and barged into the interrogation room and punched Green on the jaw. "You think you can get away for burning three agents to terrorists. You are no better than them. I'm requesting that you get sent to Guantanamo. You work with terrorists, you get the same deal."

Owen Granger and Leon Vance moved in behind Callen, but remained in the doorway, when they saw that was all that Callen was going to do to Green. Callen was angry, but he wasn't rogue. Both men felt that Green had gotten off lightly from Callen, but they knew the younger man was using all of his self control to rein in his emotions.

_A/N: Are you surprised over who Hetty is and why she did what she's done? Will Callen ever forgive her or trust her again? What about Green, do you thing that Callen's gone too soft on him? Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	23. Chapter 23

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. For Nallen fans, this is the best I could do for you in this story._

**Chapter 23**

**_Los Angeles…_**

It didn't take long for word to get out that G. Callen was in Los Angeles. He sat at Sam's desk and stared at his old one. It was contaminated, as far as he was concerned. He heard quick steps and turned to see Nell enter.

"Callen, why are you here? Is everything okay?" She hugged him and looked worried over at him.

"My old desk needs to be burned, after having Green sit there for the past year or so." He hesitated, as he broke a pencil in his hand. "I saw him, Nell. Gave him a few punches. But it didn't help the anger nor the frustrations I feel."

"You saw Green? So you've been in the boat shed. Have you seen Hetty?" Word that Hetty had found out about Deeks and Kensi arresting Green had reached her.

Callen nodded. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust her again, Nell. She's been the one constant in my life, but I feel betrayed. I'm lost again. I have this amazing family, a beautiful wife whose been through hell, and two beautiful children. Samuel, he's so perfect. Yet, I feel lost."

"Sam called me and told me. Congratulations, Gav." She tested out his real name and noted how much it suited him. "So why are you here in L.A.?"

"I needed to see Green. I came to kill him." He looked up at her in pain. "But I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill the one man who'd burned my wife."

"That's because you're a good man. A family man, who'd do anything to protect his family. If you had killed Green, they would have locked you away, not Green. He would have gotten off scot free, he needs to suffer."

"I know. I realised that. I told him that I'm requesting that he goes to Guantanamo."

"You can do that?"

"I've spoken to Vance and he agrees with me. He's too much of a risk to us all. He's burned Gibbs and me, too, to a Sasha Malis. You know who he is?"

Nell nodded. "I found information that Malis was in the States."

"I can't come home yet, Nell. Wherever home is. I don't know where we belong? Washington or here." A tear fell and he quickly wiped it away. "I need my family to be safe, but how can I when I've got to hide away with them? We're all in danger, not just from Basara and his men, but also from the remainder of the Comescus. But how do I determine which of them is a threat? Not all of them are after us. Hunter said that Elena Vadim wanted nothing to do with her family. Could you look for her and make contact with her please? Alex wants to meet her. Also, find out if her father is still alive. Dimitri Vadim. He took Elena away from the family, we need proof that he's not bad like the Comescus."

"I will search for them. You and Alex will figure it out, Gav, on where home will be for the four of you. Washington may be too much pain and too high of a risk in Basara finding you there. But then again, it's where the two of you met and fell in love." She sighed, if only she could have what they have.

"You're a good friend, Nell. I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for us over the past year, and before that. I know it must have been hard for you, keeping all of those secrets."

"It is what it is. I'm good at what I do, so Vance and Granger utilised me well. I enjoy working here. Everyone's become family. It's nice."

"What about your life before you came here?" He'd never had the opportunity to find out more about her.

"Let's just say, the timing of moving west was perfect for me." Memories of what she had left behind flashed before her. Going home from time to time was necessary, to keep her family happy, but that didn't mean that she wanted to go back to her old life.

"A bad break up with your old boyfriend?"

"Nothing escapes you, does it?"

Callen stood and leaned on Sam's desk, facing her. "You know we're all a family here. We'd do anything to protect you, like you would for the rest of us. Tell me why you always cover yourself up, Nell? What did he do to you?" She stared into his blue eyes, he had removed his contacts, she noted. She saw his sincerity and gentleness, like she seen him be with Alex and Katie. He really was a rare gem.

She shook her head and faced away, trying to keep it together. He gently placed his hand on her arm, urging her to not run away. He cared about her and he wanted to be there for her, like she had for him and his family.

"Nell?"

"Alex is one lucky woman, to have you in her life. Not all guys are are loving as you." She furrowed her brow and tensed her jaw. "It's why I became an agent. So I wouldn't be a victim again." Her breathing hitched and with all her strength, she removed her cardigan.

Callen reined in the anger that surged through him, the scars up her arms shocked him. "How, why.. oh, Nell, I'm so sorry." He pulled her in and held her in his arms, protected.

"It's okay, Gav. I'm safe now. I have been for a long time. We met in College and at first I enjoyed the attention and the flowers. But then he became possessive and threatened any guy who'd even look at me, let alone talk to me. He was thrown out after he'd knifed a guy, because he helped me with my car when the battery died. It got out of hand and I broke it off with him. I thought it was over and I'd moved on. I met Steve, he was the nicest guy. But Kendall found out and punched him until he was unconscious. The cops arrested him, but his rich parents got him out on bail. That's when…when he came after me. Attacked me with a knife and burned my skin with a cigar."

Callen gently traced the burn scars on her arms and the straight lines from the knife. "What happened then?"

"I shot him. My brother, Dan, he was worried about me. He bought me a gun, told me never to go anywhere without it. I killed him in self defence. I had witnesses and with his history of attacking Steve and another guy and the state of my arms and legs, the cops were great. But I had to endure hate letter from his family and friends. So I left college, moved to D.C. and enrolled in FLETC. I topped my class and was assigned in Argentina."

"That's when you did your research on Argentina and became a field agent."

Nell nodded. "I wish I had known you as a field agent. I know we've had you out with us on occasions, but we didn't know how capable you were. You're great at undercover work, I'll give you credit for that. You had me fooled."

"And nothing get's passed you, huh!" She tilted her head and gave him a smug smile. "Better yet, I've managed to stay under the radar with Hetty. That is a defeat in it's self."

"Yeah it is. You'll go down in NCIS history as the agent who fooled the infamous Henrietta Lange." Nell laughed at his joke. It was good to laugh after what they'd been talking about.

"Thanks, Gav. I needed that."

"Me too." He took in a deep breath and breathed it out slowly. "I miss this place and the people. But I don't for one second, regret being with Alex and Katie. They make me a better person, you know. I'm no longer the lone wolf, as Sam calls me. "'m the chief lion of the pride."

"Well if you grow your hair any longer and didn't trim that beard of yours so much, yeah, I could see you as a lion. You and Deeks could go undercover together as Shaggy 1 and Shaggy 2."

"Deeks would have a field day with this hair, wouldn't he?"

"Yes he would. And I am. Wow, Callen. That hair. Can I touch it?" Marty Deeks and Kensi Blye entered the Bull Pen after listening in to their conversation.

"No you can't touch it, Deeks." Callen moved away to prevent Deeks from touching it. "That's it, I'm having it cut off. Back to being short again."

"But your cover, it needs you to look different. Then there's the threat from Basara." Nell worried over Callen. "You can't change that look. Besides, I know a certain woman who love you to stay that way."

"Alex? No. She liked me the old way." He shrugged. "I suppose I better get back, before she misses me."

"Your wife?" Kensi and Deeks had listened to that part of the conversation between Granger and Green, earlier.

"Yes. I'm sorry that you've been kept in the dark, but this has become very complicated. Alex and I used to work together under Gibbs in D.C. We were like the two of you. We tried to pretend there was nothing there between us. So we got hitched in Paris, while on an assignment. We were happy, until I left for L.A." He looked directly at Deeks as he continued. "Don't ever leave her. It'll be the biggest mistake you'll ever make. I've lost ten years of not being with my wife and daughter, that I can never get back."

Deeks nodded and understood the guilt raging through him. "I won't."

Callen turned to Kensi and studied her for a moment. "Go easy on Nell. She was just doing what she was told to do from Vance and Granger. Protect her from Hetty, make sure she doesn't lash out at her, she was doing it to protect me. Okay?"

Kensi narrowed her eyes and then glanced over at Deeks. He'd been right again. His detective skills are still sharp and she should really take more notice of his gut, when he knows something isn't right. "We will." She watched Nell slide her ams back into the cardigan and stopped her. "I'm sorry, we overheard your conversation. We won't tell anyone. I'm glad you got him, Nell." Her gut clenched tight, after all their girls nights out, not once had she known why her friend covered up so much.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Kensi hugged her, thankful that she survived what could have resulted in her death. "I'd love to have you as my partner sometime too."

"Me too. Although, I know we've already been partners, but I would love for you to be my partner again."

"You'll have to fight me for her." Sam Hanna waltzed into the bull pen and hugged Nell. "You should have called me about Green."

"What about Green?" Callen looked between Sam and Nell, confused.

"Hetty caught him breaking into Nell's apartment last night." Deeks blabbed.

"He did what?" Callen looked over at Nell with concern. "Did he hurt you?"

"You can stop worrying, all of you." She sighed. "I was at Eric's at the time. Hetty was looking for Sam and was somehow outside my apartment, when she spotted Green breaking in. She called LAPD to scare him off." She turned and looked at Sam. "I think Hetty suspects we're up to something."

"She knows. She heard Granger talking with Green, so she knows about Callen."

"But she didn't know that Mr Hanna and Miss Jones were read in on Mr Callen's whereabouts." They all turned around and found their formidable Operations Manager standing by the screen, giving them the gorgon stare.

"Hetty, you can't punish them for doing their job. Nell was on orders to not tell anyone where I was. Sam only found out later last year, when Nell's car was in the garage and Granger had been poisoned. She needed Sam and he was told he had to keep it quiet. Not even Michelle knows." Callen stood between his team and Hetty, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You and I need to talk, Mr Callen." She was not going to do it in front of everyone, she headed over to her office, expecting him to follow.

Callen raised his brow at Sam, he knew this was going to be one hard talk. From both sides. Nell gave his hand a squeeze, before he followed.

G. Callen wasn't surprised to find her brewing a pot of tea. He sat down and waited for Hetty, until she was ready to talk with him. How long had he wanted his time with Hetty, to talk to her? He wanted answers and now he'd got them. Well, some of them.

"Mr Callen. How long have you known me?" He watched her pour out the brew and took the cup and saucer, as she handed them over to him.

"Since I was seven."

"You were small for your age, skinny to the bone and too afraid to talk. So no one knew your name. After time, you forgot it yourself, and you grew up as G. Callen. Do you remember when I came to find you a family?"

"I do. The Stricklands. They were nice, until I got moved again. Why was I moved so much?"

"Mr Strickland lost his job, therefore they couldn't keep you. You were with them for two months and you began to talk and gain confidence. I remember the first smile you gave me, when I came to visit you there, only after two weeks, you'd settled in nicely. Then I tried to find you another family."

"The Wallaces. Another nice family. But I only stayed for six weeks. What happened there?"

"You don't remember?"

Callen shook his head. "No, I don't. Mrs Wallace was seriously injured in a car accident. You managed to come out with just a broken arm."

Callen knitted his brows together. "I remember the plaster on my arm, but I have no memory of how it happened."

"You also suffered a bit of concussion. Your next family were the Hannas."

"Sam's family?" Hetty nodded. "Sam did such a great job looking after you while your arm was in plaster, I knew he would be the perfect partner and brother for you."

"But I was only there for ten weeks."

"Yes, unfortunately, the problem with families in the military, is that sometimes when one of the parents were assigned overseas, the whole family went with them. The Hannas moved to Saudia Arabia for two years. They couldn't take you with them. They tried, I tell you that. They would have adopted you, if…"

"I was the same colour as them." Hetty sighed.

"Unfortunately, back then, that was the way it was. But you were happy then and you looked up to Sam as your big brother."

"I had just settled there, plaster was off, but when I came home from school, my social worker was waiting for me, while Mrs Hanna packed. I remember her crying." He turned and looked over to his partner. "Do you think Sam remembers me?"

"He does." Hetty gave him a warm smile.

"How come he's never said anything?"

"He knew how many times you'd moved since then, he didn't want to make it more painful for you."

"I know not all the foster families were bad, Hetty. And I know that you tried your best to get me out of the bad ones as soon as you knew something wasn't right. But thirty-seven is a lot of homes."

"I know, Mr Callen. And I am sorry for the pain you suffered, also for not talking to Owen about you. I had no idea that he was family. I cannot undo the past, but you have to know that I had to hide you from the Comescus."

"But you are Comescu. I heard you tell Vance, that you were Erika Comescu. Cousin to Alexa and Calin Comescu."

"I'm not proud of my family, Mr Callen. I've tried hard to forget that's who I am and I have worked against them in every way possible, to keep you safe from them."

"You killed Alex's mother."

"Yes, I did. My own cousin. But we weren't close. It was your grandmother, Suzana Callen, who changed my life. Everyone was afraid of our family, but she wasn't. She looked after me when I was young, it was too much for my mother to deal with all of us, after my father died."

"You mean when my grandfather killed him."

Hetty sighed. "I know our families haven't had the greatest record of getting along, Mr Callen. But I loved your grandmother, like a big sister. After she married your grandfather, I would sneak over there and play with your mother. Clara was the happiest and most beautiful baby I had ever set eyes on. I wanted to live with them. It was the happiest time of my life, back then, when I was with your grandmother and mother.'

"Until your brother killed my grandfather."

"I ran away after that. Learned the English language and found my way across to America. I had no idea where Suzana and Clara were, until I met your mother at Langley. We clicked and became friends." She looked over to him and leaned forward, her hand over his. "I'm sorry, about not saving your mother, Mr Callen."

"You already apologised, Hetty. I want to know why you kept Alex and I apart? Why you didn't trust her to be around me?"

"It's a Romani thing, Mr Callen. We feel things from our family, no matter how hard we try to fight it."

"Alex doesn't remember her family. She was a baby, for goodness sake. As far as she is concerned, she was Alexandra Holden and is now a Callen. This is tearing her apart. The stress led her to go into early labour. She can't be blamed for a family she doesn't know." His voice raised in pitch and in volume, from anger. "Do you want to kill me?"

"Of course not." Her brow furrowed in annoyance. After all she'd done for him, why would he think that of her?

"But you are Comescu. You've lived with them for years and years, listened to their hatred for my family. Why don't you hate me and want me dead?"

"Because I loved your grandmother and she loved me. She was my friend."

"Then you need to tell Alex that she's not an enemy, that she's not going to wake up in the middle of the night and have this sudden urge to kill me and our children."

"She won't. I haven't in all the years I've known you and you have been a handful over the years."

"Then come with me and meet our children. Katie, she's ten and looks just like me. Samuel, he's…" he looked at his watch, "seven hours old, born eight weeks early and is being watched in neonatal care." His eyes welled up from emotion. "They are blood to you, Hetty. Your cousin's grandchildren. You are the only one I know who wouldn't harm them. That's my trust in you, that you have earned over the years. I need you to trust Alex. Please."

He knew why it mattered to him so much. Although he didn't like what she'd done, her motives had been honourable. He just wished Hetty had been honest with him about the Comescus and about Alex. How different his life could have been, had he known the truth.

"But you've got to stop keeping secrets from me, Hetty. I can't deal with all this secret keeping that you've been doing."

"Very well, Mr Callen." Her smile returned to her face and he noticed the glistening in her eyes. He'd touched her heart a long time ago and she in turn had done the same with him. No matter how angry he got about what she'd done, he couldn't punish her for long. She'd aged since he'd seen her last and it worried him, just how much longer she'd be around. He always thought that she'd outlive him. But now that he had so much to live for, and saw the strains on her face from the job, he doubted that would now be the case.

_A/N: Curiosity over why Nell Jones always wears a cardigan over her arms and sights over her legs, led to me revealing this back story on how she became an agent and an expert in Argentina (refer back to the episode, Enemy Within, S2E19). It looks like Callen still has that soft spot for Hetty. No matter how many times that woman keeps secrets from him, she knows how to manipulate his heart and worm her way back inside of him. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	24. Chapter 24

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. A note for Laurence Guindet, thank you for your review, this story isn't complete, there is still much more to deal with before this is finished. Until then, I cannot make the decision on whether there is a need to write a sequel._

**Chapter 24**

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Gibbs and Oscar pulled up into the driveway of the Sheers' home. When they rang the doorbell, they were surprised when no one answered. Gibbs pulled out his burn phone and dialled Callen's current number, but still no answer. He tried Alex's and relaxed when she picked up.

"Well hello there, sunshine, where are you all?"

"You're here?" Alex's face brightened, hearing her old friend's voice.

"No. I'm still back east but thought I would peek in to see if you're home. Of course I'm here. I have a surprise for you? Where are you?"

"Just down the road at the Cottage hospital. Samuel came early."

"Is everything okay?" He kept his facial expressions neutral, so not to alarm Oscar, incase there was a problem.

"He's fine. I've just gone down to the neonatal unit and fed him. Come on over. Is Tom not at home? I thought he'd be in here by now. Perhaps he's on his way."

"Not from what I can see. See you in a few." He turned and patted Oscar on the back. Come with me."

Oscar followed Gibbs back to the car and buckled in. It was only a short drive, five minutes if that and he looked over to Gibbs with concern, but Jethro had a smile on his face. "What's going on?"

"Let's go and see."

Alex met them at the entrance and she shrieked out with delight and wrapped her arms around her father. "Dad. It's so good to see you. I've missed you all so much."

"We've missed you too, sweetheart. What's going on?" He looked at her closely and his face brightened. "The baby, he's come already?"

Alex nodded. "Eight weeks early, but he's doing fine. Breathing on his own and feeding well. Come and meet your grandson." She hugged Gibbs and wrapped her arms around the two of them. "You're timing is perfect."

"Tom hasn't come yet?" Gibbs looked around for Callen but he couldn't see him.

"No." Alex's mind wondered for a moment as she tried to think of where Callen was. There was no way he would desert them now, but worry over where he could be began to fester. "Perhaps he's gone to pick up K.. Phoebe, to bring her to meet her brother." Luckily she remembered her daughter's alias before she slipped up.

"Gibbs and Oscar nodded, not thinking anything of it."

**_Los Angeles…_**

The stream of light that peeped through the curtains awoke Callen from his sleep. He bolted upright and looked around to see where he was. _Hetty's. How had she persuaded him to come here and not go back to Santa Barbara? _He quickly dressed and ran down the stairs, coming to a halt in the kitchen. Hetty had made a huge breakfast for him, like she had done when he was as a kid. There were times when Hetty had brought him back to her house to give him a break from living with strangers.

"Hetty, I appreciate the effort, but I've got to get back before Alex starts worrying about me."

"For the road, Mr Callen. Please, take a seat."

He sighed for a moment before sitting down and he tucked into the huge cooked breakfast that she had prepared for him. "Sam's not going to like you cooking all of this for me, you know, Hetty. It's not good for my health."

"Sam's right here and he's hoping there's still some left for him." His partner sat down beside him and tucked in.

"You've returned to referring to yourself in the third person, Sam. This isn't good."

"Huh! You think you're funny, G. Now, we've got I'd say thirty minutes before we head off."

"What about Michelle and Kamran? Look, Sam. I miss you, don't get me wrong. But family is important."

"You are my family, G. It's important that you remember that too." He looked over to Hetty, who was brewing a pot of tea. "So Hetty, have you agreed to G's request?"

Hetty pursed her lips before she joined them at the table. "Hmm! I'm thinking about it. I've had a lengthy discussion with Director Vance during the early hours of this morning and he's agreed to bring me up tomorrow. We decided it was important for the Callens to have some time on their own before the rest of us bombard them."

"What, everyone's coming up?" Callen looked up surprised. He hadn't expected that.

"We are a family, are we not, Mr Callen?"

"Well, yes, we are."

"Good. Then that's settled." She sipped from her cup and ate her porridge.

"So you're agreeing to what I asked, then? For you to talk to Alex and help her through dealing with this news about her mother being a Comescu?"

"Yes, I have. I have to face the music at some point, I suppose. But if she tells me to leave, there's nothing that I can do, but to do as she says."

Callen heaved out a heavy sigh. He knew what Alex thought about Hetty, after taking him away from her. He doubted that Alex would accept Hetty in their lives and he needed Hetty to be persistent, to help her get through this. He also hoped that Nell had found Elena and her father, so they could make contact. But it was complex, seeing that they were living undercover as Tom and Kelly Sheers. But it might work, as he thought about a solution. It would help keep it safe that he was a Callen, if Elena and their father knew him as Tom Sheers. Yes, he decided, that would be the safest route forward. He pulled out his cell and walked out into the garden. The roses were in full bloom, along with all the other flowers that Hetty'd planted in her garden. The fragrances were intoxicating.

"Nell, hi. Have you found them?"

Nell smiled as she continued typing away on her computer. Her basement was a similar size to Ops at OSP, but it felt huge being in there on her own. "Elena is in Argentina. She's married to a local winemaker, a Santino Alvarez. He owns the Santino Valle Viñedo. He's won numerous awards, locally and internationally for his Shiraz and Cabinet Sauvignon. They have four sons, Daniel, Valentine, Andres and Luis. From what I can see, they've had no contact with the Comescus or any crime family in Argentina or anywhere else in South America. The family is clean. He's from a long line of winemakers, his father still runs the Alvarez Viñedo, twenty miles away."

"That's good, Nell. Thanks. Is there anyway you can arrange for them to visit us? It will be a while before Alex could travel, Samuel's going to be in hospital for a few more weeks. He'll still be too young to make the trip, even after he's been discharged."

"I could fly down there and talk with Elena in person, she might come if I tell her that I've found her baby sister."

"I don't want you travelling down there on your own, Nell. I know you've lived there in the past, but you still need back up." He thought over it for a moment and looked at his eager partner inside, laughing with Hetty. A joke about him, probably. He was used to being the butt of his partner's jokes. It was what made them close, he supposed. He never had the experience of having a brother before Sam came into his life. "Take Sam with you. He's eager to help."

"You sure Hetty will spare him?"

"I don't think Hetty's in a position to refuse. I'll talk it over with the both of them."

"You're still here in Los Angeles?"

"Yes. I know, I was going to head back during the night, but she persuaded me to sleep before I did. And then I slept in and I found her cooking me breakfast. I couldn't just leave."

"You better call Alex. She'll be worried."

"I know, but I left my phone back home. Can you call her and tell her that we're working on finding her sister, for me. She'll relax when she knows what we're working on."

"Not a problem, Gav. Just another thing. I've tried to find Alex's real father, Dimitri Vadim. Every search has come up blank."

"Book two seats to Argentina, perhaps Elena can tell you where their father is."

"Good thinking." Nell mulled over her plans in her head. "What should I tell Elena, when we get there?"

"Tell her what you tell your family, that you work for a television station and that you have been looking into unsolved murders. Tell her that you think that you've found her baby sister. Use our alias, Tom and Kelly Sheers. It will be safer this way, just in case she reacts to the Callen name."

"Good idea." A plan formed inside Nell's mind on how she was going to approach this trip.

"Thanks, Nell."

"Be safe, Gav. Remember that Basara's looking for you."

"Let him come, Nell. I'll put a bullet into his skull. After what he did to Alex, it'll be my right to kill him."

"Just make sure you don't get a bullet in yourself in the meantime. Alex and your children need you alive. We all do."

"I know. Thanks, Nell." Callen disconnected the call and walked back inside.

"What's up, G?" Sam looked up at his partner, expectantly.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"It requires you to fly to Argentina."

"No." Hetty stood up and shook her head. "You are not going to make contact with Elena Vadim."

"It's not your decision, Hetty. Alex wants to see her sister. She has the right."

"I beg to differ. Mr Callen, you really must start trusting me, when I tell you that it's dangerous to make contact with anyone from the family."

"Hunter told me that Elena wanted nothing to do with her mother's family. Alex needs to know that she's not a bad person. That's why you will come up tomorrow with Vance and you will tell her that you are familia and that she, like you, will do everything in her power to keep me and our children safe from the Comescus."

"I can't guarantee that our meeting will go down well, Mr Callen. She must hate me after I took you away from her."

"Once she knows your reasons, she will come round. Trust me, Hetty. Isn't it time the trust went both ways?" She knew he had a point, but fear still overruled her decisions.

"I still think it's dangerous. If word got out to the rest of the family that Alex is alive and is married to a Callen, all of you will be at risk."

"We already are at risk, Hetty. I've thought about this. We're currently living under aliases. So no one will know that we're Callens."

"What if someone in Romania found out, they'd only need to take one look at you and know who you are?"

"What with my brown eyes and dark hair? Do I really look like me in this guise, Hetty?"

Hetty sighed. "You're going ahead with this no matter what, aren't you?"

"Elena hasn't seen her family in a real long time. No one in Romania will find out. They thought Hunter was Elena, they have no idea where she's living."

"I still don't like it."

Callen turned to Sam. "Would you go with Nell and talk with Elena in person? Alex can't go down there, with Samuel being so small, but you could convince her to come here."

Sam furrowed his brow as he thought over Callen's proposition. "Okay, G. I'll go."

"Thanks." Callen's face brightened. "I better head back. Nell was contacting Alex, so she won't worry. She'll contact you with the details, Sam."

"Hetty?" Callen turned to her and he saw the concern etched in her eyes. "It's going to be okay. We'll be fine. See you tomorrow."

Hetty nodded. "Stay safe, Mr Callen."

She watched him leave, his partner stood out front, waving him off. "I suppose I better start trusting you, Mr Callen. After all, you are the best at what you do," she voiced out loud to herself.

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Callen entered the Cottage hospital with Katie beside him. He held her hand in his as they pressed the elevator button. They both wore huge grins on their faces, Katie couldn't wait to meet her brother. It had come as a surprise that he'd come so early, but she was reassured that he was doing well.

They exited onto the floor where the neonatal unit was and they looked through the glass. Surprise crossed both of their faces, when they saw Gibbs and Oscar inside with Alex.

"Grandpa." Katie ran over to Oscar, who lifted her up into his arms.

"Hey pumpkin. Wow, you've grown so big." He studied her features and shook his head. "Living out here suits you. You're glowing and growing like anything."

"I miss you and Grandma though."

"We've missed you too." He put her back down on her own two feet and observed how tall she'd become. Katie had grown so much over the past year and she'd also lost the young kid look. It saddened Oscar that they had missed this change in her. Before long, she'll be a teenager and she won't care for him anymore. Her friends will take over what's important in her life, and boys. Memories when Alex got to that stage flashed before him and he knew that life was passing him by, much too fast.

Katie looked over at the small bundle in her mother's arms. She walked over to her mom and looked down at her brother. "He's so tiny."

"Would you like to hold your brother, sweetheart?"

Katie's eyes widened and she nodded. "Would I ever." She sat down on the seat next to her mom and gently took hold of her baby brother. He was perfect in every way. Blond hair and when Samuel opened his eyes, his matching cerulean eyes stared back at her. Katie looked up at her father and saw a tear escape from his eyes. "His eyes are like…" She stopped in mid sentence and remembered how her father and her eyes had coloured contacts in them to hide their trade mark colour.

"They're beautiful eyes," Alex continued for her. "I wonder where he gets them from?" There was no doubt, they were the vivid blue that reminded her of a summer's day, just like Callen's and Katie's.

Callen pulled Alex into a hug and kissed her warmly on the lips. "Did you get Nell's message?"

"I did. Why did you go down there?" She studied his eyes, he was good at hiding things, but now she saw that he was an open book to her. He might be a great agent, but as her husband, he had learned to let her in.

"We'll talk about it later." He looked down at their children and Alex knew then that whatever it was that was going on in his thoughts, it wasn't the time to talk about it.

It was dinner time before Alex and Callen had a moment to themselves. Oscar and Gibbs took Katie out for dinner, to give them some time alone.

They sat on Alex's bed, alone with the door closed. "Okay, G. It's time for you to tell me what's going on in that head of yours."

"Ally, you know that you mean the world to me. I might have failed you in the past but I want to make it up to you. To help you get through this latest news about who you are."

"So you went to L.A.? You could have talked to Nell on the phone, you didn't need to go there in person." She studied him for a moment and she saw that he hid something from her. "G, you're hiding something from me."

Callen stood up and he looked out of the window. The sun was lowering in the west, and the sky was a glorious gold and pink. "I needed to make you safe. Your nightmares returned the other night and I needed to make it go away."

"So you went hunting for Green? G. Callen, you shouldn't have gone. What if something happened to you? To us, while you were away?"

He turned and faced her. "I went to kill him, Al. But I couldn't."

She furrowed her brow, "what happened?"

"When I got there, Vance was talking to Hetty in the boat shed. I hid in the shadows and I heard everything. I know who she really is and why she tried to keep us apart."

"Well that's obvious why she did. I'm the enemy."

"No, you're not. You are my wife, the love of my life. If you were, there would be no way that you would have married me and given me two beautiful children. You are more Holden than Vadim. And definitely not Comescu. And we don't even know anything about your father, but I do know that he took your sister away from the family and she wants nothing to do with them. So that tells me that you're not the enemy."

"Who is she?" Alex stiffened her body, she had wanted to know why Callen meant so much to the older woman. Fear for their family grew within her.

"She was a Erika Comescu, cousin to Calin," he admitted. "But she's turned her back on her family a long time ago and she has tried hard to make up for the evil that her family has done to mine. She means well, Alex. Everything that she's done, has been to keep me safe."

"I've spoken to my father and he's told me that my mother was murdered and they still haven't found who killed her." Alex knitted her brows together as sorrow for the mother she didn't remember wash through her. "Dad told me that I was found crying beside my mother's body. I was eighteen months old, G." She took in a ragged breath, her emotions getting the better of her. "That's when he took me in and arranged for a closed adoption, to keep me safe."

Alex saw the look in Callen's eyes. "You knew?"

"I only just found out."

"Hetty, she killed my mother?" Alex's breathing hitched and panic ensued her. "Is she going to kill me too?"

Callen pulled her in for a hug. "No. Ally, look at me." He held her face in his hands. "I've spoken to her. She means you no harm."

"She took you away from me, G. She's already done me harm." Her eyes welled up in tears, her nightmare was returning. Not the one that's kept her awake at night since March last year, but a different one. That Henrietta Lange would take her husband away from her again.

"Ally, do you trust me?" He looked deep into her eyes, he saw her fear and it pained him.

"You know I do, G. But I can never trust Hetty."

"You need to, Al. To trust her with your life and that of our children's."

"I don't know, G. After all that she's done to tear our family apart."

"I know, Ally, and I have told her how much she's hurt us. But we need her. You need her. She's family to you. Blood to you and our children. She's the only one that we can trust to keep them safe from the Comescus."

"You still trust her after all that she's done to us?"

"I'm living proof that she can be trusted, Ally. I should have died years ago, but I'm still here, all because Hetty did everything that she could to keep me safe."

"Are you telling me that she killed my mother to keep you safe, G?" A mixture of emotions rushed through her body.

"Yes." Alex pulled away from him, trying to get her head around it all.

"Ally, please don't push me away." Callen pulled her back and held her, facing him. "I know this is hard on you, which is why Nell and Sam are flying to Argentina to find your sister. I'm hoping that Elena can tell us where your father is, because Nell can't find him anywhere. I believe that they will will be able to tell you more about your mother and it will help you understand why Hetty did what she did."

Sorrow for the mother she'd forgotten about welled up inside of her. She stared out at the rich colours of the sky, but she didn't see it. Instead her eyes flooded in tears, over the circumstances that had changed her life. She shuddered when she felt Callen's arms wrap around her. She knew that he was only trying to help her deal with all of this information, but she needed time to get her head and heart around this. Everything was becoming too much and her hormones were raging from just only giving birth, the day before. She thought about her new born son, so beautiful and precious. Then she thought about the one person who gave her purpose for the ten years she was apart from her husband, her daughter, Katie. The most precious gift of all. She'd brightened Alex's life when she was grieving the loss of the love of her life. She brought a different perspective to things that helped her deal with the depression that would pounce on her at a moments notice.

She thought about how different her life would have been if her mother had lived. She would have grown up with hatred for the man whom she loved. Then it hit her. If Hetty hadn't killed her mother to save Callen, then she would never have met him, fallen in love with him, nor given birth to two amazing and beautiful children. Her breathing hitched and she curled over and cried. Cried for the mother she'd lost and for the blood feud between their families.

Callen picked her up and carried her back over to the bed. He carefully laid her down and lied down next to her. He allowed her to grieve and deal with all of the news that she had learned.

_A/N: Things are developing. Nell and Sam are off on a trip to Argentina, while Callen helps Alex deal with the news of who she really is. How will she deal with Hetty's visit? How will Nell and Sam do down in Argentina? What about Basara and the rest of the Comescus? There are so many things going on, it's going to take time to resolve these things. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	25. Chapter 25

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Depression is not an issue to take lightly, it is a serious illness that needs understanding and love from those around them. If you are suffering from depression, there are health professionals around who can help you._

**Chapter 25**

**_Santa Barbara…_**

Callen's plans for Alex to meet with Hetty went out the window when his wife's emotional state deteriorated. Alex sunk into a depression and he found himself in new territory. He'd sent a message to delay their visit as he laid beside her, unable to get her to talk to him. He and the midwife had to take her down to the neonatal unit in a wheelchair and her eyes were void of contact as she fed their son. It was Callen who had to be the one to bond with their son, as Alex rejected holding him for any longer than she had to. The midwife suggested that Callen removed all clothing on his chest and that he held Samuel, giving him skin to skin contact. They called it kangaroo care, when the women who usually came in to volunteer their time with the premature babies.

But Callen's heart broke, seeing the state that Alex was in. It was clear to him that she was suffering from depression. He'd never seen her like this, even after the trauma she'd gone through, although she had suffered and it hung like a dark cloud over her, until she received the good news that she was in the clear. He'd read somewhere in the pregnancy book about post natal depression, but he never contemplated that Alex would be one to be affected by it. She was a strong woman, who'd faced near death and dangerous situations for her country. She was the team leader for a secret team within NCIS, and reported only to their Director.

But the woman beside him was a shell of her former self. A day ago, she appeared to be coping, even after the news of her being adopted and finding out who her mother was. The safe arrival of their son, Samuel had brought a bright light into the mix. But after his talk with her the night before, Alex withdrew inside of herself and closed up from everyone around her. He berated himself for telling her about Hetty. He should have listened to Alex when she told him that Hetty couldn't be trusted. But he couldn't help it. He was alive because of the older woman. He looked to her like a mother, she had been the only one who really cared about him. The news that she was a Comescu had shocked him, but her actions had proved her intentions. They had so much history, he couldn't turn his back on her, and he noted the pain Hetty had been in, the worry for him, while he'd been away. More so, knowing he was with Alex.

They needed to talk, face to face. But Alex's emotional state worried him to the core. She wasn't in a fit state to deal with Hetty. He clung onto the hope that Nell and Sam found Elena and brought her back to them. That she could help Alex deal with who she really was and that she wasn't a bad person. It wasn't a genetic factor, but a nurture one. And Alex had been nurtured by the Holdens. Good upstanding members of the community.

He was torn. He loved Alex and he would die for her. He would do anything to help her. But he didn't know what to do. A knock on the door pulled him away from Alex. On the other side of the door, stood Oscar. Gibbs remained back at the house with Katie, in hope they could keep Alex's condition away from her.

"We need to talk. Let's take a walk." Oscar looked into the room at his daughter and his heart was torn. Memories from ten years earlier flashed before him.

Outside the hospital, Oscar sat down on a bench seat. White rose bushes were in full bloom and scented the air. Callen joined him, his body was exhausted from dealing with his wife. He hadn't slept the night before.

"I worried that this would happen, G. Alex, suffered post natal depression after she had Katie. But it wasn't just from having a new baby, it was impacted from losing you."

"But she has me this time." This was news to him, but from what he'd seen upstairs, it made sense.

"Yes, but with this other news, about her being adopted and who her mother was, has hit her harder than any of us could have envisioned. Perhaps we were wrong in hiding it from her, but until recently, we had no idea who had killed her mother and why. As far as we were concerned, Alex was in danger and we needed to protect her. If we had told her the truth and she went looking for her family, we worried about what would happen to her. But it looks like it's happened anyway. Hetty took you away, kept the two of you apart because of who she was born to. If I had known, I would have fought Hetty over it, eleven years ago."

"If Hetty had told me the truth from the beginning and not played games with me, none of the past eleven years would have happened." Anger washed over Callen over the ten years he'd lost with Alex and Katie. "She has a great deal to answer for."

"Yes she does. But that doesn't help Alex now. She needs to go on medication to help her get better. There's no other way. We watched her deteriorate after Katie was born. It was the only way to help her the last time."

"What about Samuel? She won't be able to breastfeed him if she's on them, will she?"

"Actually there's been a huge development in the drugs and there are many varieties available that she can use and continue to breastfeed."

"He needs her, Oscar. Samuel's survival depends on her. I'm doing all the bonding, but he needs Alex. We need a professional to help her. Who did she see before?"

"I agree with you. We're in luck, the shrink she saw was Dr Getz. I believe you know him?"

"Nate? Alex saw Nate?"

"Yes. Are you happy for him to come up and see her?"

"Of course. He's a good man and a good friend. I had no idea that Nate knew about Alex….he never said anything to me, even when we had our chats over the years. Not once did he let on that he knew about Alex." Callen turned to Oscar. "Did he know about Alex and I being married?"

"No. Your identity had been kept from Nate. But now, I wish we had told him. He might have helped persuade you to come home much earlier."

Callen stood and paced the pathway around the hospital's garden. The cottage hospital was attractive with a well groomed garden for patients and their visitors to enjoy. There were many things about living in Santa Barbara that he loved, like how well everything was well tended to.

"I regret leaving without her, Oscar. I've hurt her so much." He shook his head, the guilt still hung heavily on his shoulders. "No matter how much I try to make up for my mistakes, I'll never get those ten years back. I need to do something to help her, but I just don't know what?"

"Love her. Providing the love that you have for her, is the best medicine for her. Let me talk to her, G. I've been through this with her before. She's opened up to me in the past."

"Okay. And I'll contact Nate to come and talk with her."

"Already done. He'll be here later today."

Callen nodded. "Thanks. Nell and Sam are on their way to Argentina, to find her sister, Elena. I'm hoping that she'll help Alex deal with the news of who she is."

Oscar stood beside him, his brow furrowed. "Is that wise? What if her sister is like the rest of her family? You'll all be in danger."

"Not if Elena believes us to be the Sheers family. I've thought this through. While we're undercover, it will help disguise that we're Callens. Just incase Elena has any ill feelings towards us."

Oscar pondered for a moment and nodded. "It might work. I don't think Alex is ready to talk to Hetty, although it needs to happen. Perhaps in a few weeks, once the medication has kicked in and she's feeling better."

"Will she take it? The medication."

"She did before and it helped her a great deal. Nate can prescribe her the same drug as before."

"Good. I want my wife back."

**_Argentina, the following day…_**

The flight had been long and tiring for Nell and Sam, cooped up in coach until they arrived in Buenos Aires. The weather was cooler than Los Angeles for the time of year it was, winter for the southern hemisphere, which they appreciated. But not too cold that it was uncomfortable. Thirteen hours stuck in the plane made Sam irritable, but Nell, although exhausted, revelled in the field trip. She'd missed the travelling since moving to Los Angeles. Memories of her time in the Southern American country returned to her in an instant and a smile crossed her face.

"Bienvenido a Argentina." [Welcome to Argentina.] Nell looked around at the familiar landscape of the airport. "Have you ever been here before, Sam?"

Sam shook his head. The difference in the woman beside him had him amazed. She was very much in her element, travelling, speaking the local language, and as he soon discovered, her love for the food. She was well rehearsed in the history of the country and the places to avoid, if you wanted to stay out of trouble. How Nell had managed to hide this side of her from them for so long had him pondering. She was good, he noted. Not just in her knowledge, but also in undercover work, which she'd been doing for years. Deep cover and was able to deceive the best in the business. Hetty still had no idea just how much Nell knew about her and why she was at OSP other than she'd been hand picked by the former spy herself.

"You obviously loved your time living here, Nell."

"I did, Sam. Very much." She showed her driver's license to the desk clerk and signed for the car rental. She led Sam on the way to pick up their car for the next week. She hoped this was all the time they needed, to persuade Elena to come back with them.

Sam looked over at her, slightly unsure whether to jump into the passenger seat or demand the keys to drive. He felt more comfortable driving, than riding shotgun.

"Until we get out of the capitol, it's best I drive. I know the best routes through this city."

Sam capitulated and climbed into the Jeep Wrangler. "How did you manage to get this beauty?"

The black vehicle would have been his choice and he was surprised by Nell's choice. He'd thought her to choose something more chic, than practical.

"I know the terrain and the country, Sam. When in Rome…"

"I get it. I need to trust your experience as a field agent, not as an analyst."

"Correct." It was new for Sam to take second in command along the petite woman, who was clearly more experienced in the southern part of their continent than any one else in their team.

"Hetty's underestimated you, Nell. We all have."

"Just don't tell her, she'll be peeved if she knew the truth."

"Agreed."

The drive was long, but Nell managed to get them out of the capitol without too much of a hold up and before long, they were out on the open road, heading west, to the Mendoza wine area. Nell pulled into a motel in Rosario. "It's a long drive, Sam. I've booked us two rooms here for the night."

Like their plane flights, they were booked in as work colleague for a television station, as Samuel Johnston and Eleanor Muir. Nell collected their keys and pulled her luggage from the rear of the vehicle. They'd not had much chance to talk on the flight, with other passengers being within hearing, so she'd planned for them to have a sleep then go over their plan.

"We'll meet in my room in five hours. Is that enough time for you to rest, Sam?"

Sam looked at his watch and nodded. "Yes, thanks." It was already late and dark, so he appreciated the break. He stretched out his limbs that had seized up being cramped for so long. "How long's the drive?"

"All totalled, it's around nine and a half hours drive to Mendoza. Then we have another forty minute drive out to where Elena lives with her family."

"What time shall we head out?"

"Five. The earlier the start, the better. The roads aren't like we're used to."

Sam nodded. He understood how it was in Central America, he had expected no less in Argentina.

_A/N: It's not looking good for Alex, but at least Oscar is there to help his daughter get through the depression and support Callen. Whose curious about Nell and Sam's trip in Argentina? Do you think it will go smoothly?_

_Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	26. Chapter 26

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. Research for this location for this story has made me want to travel there. I hope I can deliver the beauty for this place in this story._

**Chapter 26**

**_Argentina…_**

As Sam pulled himself out of bed and showered, he could hear voices in the room beside him. They were in whispers, and concern for his friend and colleague grew within him. They'd arrived in the country unarmed, so not to alarm the authorities that US agents had entered their borders, but Sam wasn't taking any chances. He quickly pulled on his jeans and grabbed a vase from the table and crept towards Nell's room. They had a door between their rooms and as he nudged the door open, he was surprised to find Nell whispering with a blond man in his mid thirties.

Nell looked up and a smile crossed her lips. "Hey, Sam. This is Jack. We used to work together a while back." She pulled out a bag and handed it to him. "Here's our gear, just in case."

Sam nodded over to Jack and shook his hand. "NCIS?"

Jack nodded. "Yes. Been here ten years this spring." He looked over to Nell with warmth and Sam could see that these two were good friends.

Sam unzipped the bag and his brow raised when he saw the supplies of weapons, a digital SLR camera, microphone bugs and spyware cameras. "Good supply. Thanks, Jack."

"No problemo." Jack placed his hand on Nell's arm and a silent few words passed between them through the look that he gave her. "Take care, Nell."

"Thanks, Jack. You too." He hugged her and nodded over to Sam as he slipped outside.

"You never mentioned about meeting someone from your old team. Don't get me wrong, having this gear comforts me, but the less people know who we really are and why we're here, the better it is for all of us." Sam looked concerned, although he knew he'd probably would have done the same thing.

"Jack's a good man, Sam. It's a good thing to know that he's here if we need help, he's not too far away." Nell continued looking over the intel that Jack had provided her.

"What's all this?" Sam moved forward to take a closer look.

"Jack's been helping me in accessing information about people on the Comescu payroll in Argentina. You know they have people all over the world who owe them money and would do anything to pay their debts off." Nell brought Sam's attention to one particular wine grower. "This family asked the Comescus for money to set up their business, twenty years ago. The Sanchez family owe the Comescus a great deal of money still and they pose a threat to Elena and her family. Jack and I agree that this family is keeping a close watch on her in hope that she will lead them to her father, Dimitri. Jack hasn't been able to find anything on their father either."

"How far from Elena do this family have their vineyard? She may not even know the connection."

"They're neighbours."

"Oh, this is getting better, Nell." Sam sighed with sarcasm. "How long have they lived next door?" He looked at the satellite imagery that Jason had provided them.

"Five years. Before that, they owned a smaller vineyard twenty miles away…hang on," Nell looked back at her own intel and furrowed her brow.

"What is it, Nell?"

"This can't be a coincidence." She pulled out another satellite imagery that she'd brought with them. "Look here. Twenty years ago, the Sanchez family owned a vineyard next door to Elena's in laws, who own the Alvarez Viñedo. They grabbed the opportunity five years ago to buy the property next door to Elena and her family."

"Five years ago, is when we flew to Prague and Romania to rescue Hetty. I agree, this is no coincidence." Sam and Nell continued to study the intel.

"Gotcha!" Nell highlighted the details with a marker pen and showed Sam.

"The previous neighbours retired to, wait for it,"

"Don't tell me, the Caymans."

"Not quite, but close. The US have a treaty with the United Kingdom with regards to all of their territories and therefore, the Caymans."

"I'm well aware of that, Nell. Remember, G and I brought Tracy back from there."

"Oh yeah. Sorry." How could she forget Tracy Rosetti. They'd all worried over Callen back then, but little did they know that there was nothing for Callen to feel for his former CIA partner. He'd moved on and loved again, this time for real and married Alex.

"So exactly where did they retire to?"

"Santiago De Cuba."

"Well that makes sense. The US have no treaty with Cuba. But why do the old neighbours need to hide?"

"That's what I'm thinking. So I'm looking closer into who they were and oh, here they are." Nell brought up images of the previous neighbours to Elena and her family. "U-huh! See, they look similar, but you can tell they are not the same people."

"So someone is pretending to be the old neighbours, therefore, we have no clue what really happened to them. Sounds about right for the Comescus to be up to something. My theory is, that the Comesucs arranged for someone in the Sanchez family to make the old neighbours disappear, arrange for someone to pretend to be them, so the police wouldn't think anything of it and they moved in."

"Spot on." Nell sat back in her chair and watched the worry cross Sam's face.

"We need to be careful, Nell. We can't afford for anyone in the Sanchez family to get wind of our visit."

"I know. I'll have to go in on my own. The Comscus know who you really are, Sam." He didn't like Nell's statement, but he knew she was right.

"I'll have your back and hide out somewhere nearby. Let's take another look at the satellite imagery around the Santino Valle Viñedo."

They studied the lying area and Sam was satisfied once he'd found a group of trees that still had leaves on them, to hide in, to the south of the property, the opposite side to the Sanchez vineyard.

"It's time to go." Nell packed everything away into a back pack and grabbed her other bag that contained her personal items.

Sam halted when Nell climbed inside a Blue Chery Tiggo FL. "Hang on one minute. Where did this vehicle come from? We had a Jeep Wrangler yesterday."

"Jack and I swapped. The Wrangler was his vehicle. The person I spoke to at the rental desk is a friend of Jack's. I arranged for the pick up at the airport, as if it was a rental, so no one would think we were anything but who we say we are. This is more like the vehicle I would drive as a researcher from a Television Network. Hopefully, the swap of vehicles will help deflect anyone from following us from Buenos Aries to Mendoza. It's a seven and a half hour drive, if we leave now, we can get there before it's too late. Jack's given us a safe house in Mendoza as a base, while we're there. We'll be literally down the road from Santino Valle Viñedo, about fifteen minutes away."

Satisfied and impressed with Nell's efficiency of deflection, he slid into the Tiggo and pushed the seat way back. It was much smaller on the inside to the wrangler and not his style, but Nell was right, this suited her better. Now that it was his turn to drive, he was disappointed that he'd lost the opportunity to drive the wrangler. He'll have to buy Michelle one, they were a much sweeter drive compared to her smaller hatchback. He was a big man, all muscle and with his height, he needed the room, especially on those occasions when he was in her car, going somewhere as a family.

**_Mendoza…_**

The drive was long, but the scenery had been picturesque. It was a new country for Sam and he'd enjoyed the drive. The Tiggo was better at driving than he'd first credited it for, but he was desperate to stretch his limbs. "I saw an airport back there. Is there a reason why we didn't catch a flight from the capitol to here?"

"It would have raised more suspicion if we took the easy route, Sam. This way, we're less conspicuous." Nell was smart, her IQ was higher than his own, but he would have preferred the easier route. Although he had to agree, she did have a point.

They took their bags inside the small three bedroom terrace house in the quaint city with the picturesque backdrop of the Andres alps. The drive there was mostly farmland, in spring it would be an array of patchwork colours for as far as one could see. But their timing was in the south's winter and much of the trees had almost shed all of their autumn glory. The land was more barren higher up nearer to the Andres alps, but the vineyards thrived in the unique conditions of the highlands.

"The highest altitude of vineyards in the world are found in the west of the country, due to the warm dryer climate, providing a healthy environment for little disease and pure waters from the glaciers adding to the soil fertility. There is so much to enjoy in this part of the world. The Spanish influence from early settlers is evident in the architecture of the city with tree lined streets. Water flows through paved channels like streams in between divided roads and shared parkland. The most notable park is General Saint Martín Park, named after the General Saint Martin who lead the Argentinian War of Independence back in the early 1800's. The designer of the park, used British and French 19th Century styles, the main gates to the park consist of a condor and the city's coat of arms.

"Wow, Nell, you are a walking encyclopaedia."

"I lived here for a few years, Sam. This is where Jack and I would come in our time off. We stayed in this very house too."

"Were the two of you…"

Nell laughed. "No, Sam. Jack's my cousin. He's the one who suggested I go to FLETC in the first place, after the situation with Kendall."

Sam nodded. "Sorry, I just noted how close the two of you were, I had no idea."

"He's more like a big brother to me than a cousin, really. Our families grew up nearby and we were always hanging out at each other's places. He managed to get me located down here for a while. The move was just what I needed back then. When Granger and Vance heard about me, they knew I was the right person for the job."

"In keeping an eye on Hetty and looking into who she really is."

"Yes. Not just because of what I can do, but because I was unknown to Hetty before I was placed on her radar. But she's been a challenge, I'll give her that."

"Granger did that? Placed you on Hetty's radar on purpose, even though he was still CIA at the time?"

"Yes. It had to be that way, so Hetty didn't suspect. She still has no idea, and it's best she doesn't."

Sam sighed as he checked out the second and third storeys of the house and the courtyard out back. He noted a rear access to an alley, perfect for fleeing at a moment's notice. He scanned the area from the third floor and counted the houses between them and the next street along. Once he'd gotten his bearings, he relaxed and changed.

"I'm going for a run. I need it after being cooped up for two days straight."

"Go for it. Head north, the streets are quieter and more scenic with the architecture."

"Thanks." He headed outside and took in the air. It was chillier and fresher than the air back home and he knew it was much cleaner. He took in a deep breath and started his run.

Seven miles, around the streets of Mendoza and out towards the vineyards in the direction of Elena Alvarez's home. He decided it was best if he didn't go all the way, just in case someone from the Sanchez family recognised him. It definitely was beautiful, even in early winter. The sharp peaks from the Andre Alps were spectacular, catching Sam's attention, but he kept his guard up, always alert of his surroundings. An hour later, he returned back to their base and stepped under the shower to wash the sweat away. It was good to get out, see the sights and stretch his legs. It was better on foot to get one's bearings and a feel for a place, than in a vehicle. It felt safe there and he was glad he was with Nell who knew the place well.

_A/N: So far, so good. This area of Argentina, Mendoza is beautiful. Google the place and see for yourself this region known as an oasis. But Nell's yet to meet up with Elena. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. At least she has Sam around for back up, and Jack is surely not too far away either. Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


	27. Chapter 27

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. _

**Till Death Do Us Part**

By BH72

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is recognisable from NCIS or NCISLA. They belong to Shane Brennan and his amazing team of writers. I only own the original characters and the storyline._

_A/N: Thanks for your continued support in reading this story and for your reviews. _

**Chapter 27**

**_The next day, Mendoza…_**

Nell dropped Sam off along the road, a few miles south of her destination. She didn't need to worry about him, he was a trained Navy SEAL after all. He could move fast through rough terrain, even at higher altitudes. Although Mendoza was less than 800 metres above sea level, so that wasn't a problem here either. Meeting with Elena Alvarez was going to be the tough event of the visit and she was the one going in. She'd been in dangerous situations before with a partner on her six, and who better to have than Sam. Yet, Nell couldn't help herself but worry.

The gold and red leaves settled on the ground from a slight breeze that caught more of the almost bare branches. It truly was a beautiful part of the world and Nell was thankful to be back there. She turned up the dirt driveway that led to the house, driving past rows of vines. She'd seen Elena's husband, Santino and their sons leave five minutes earlier, to do the school run. Her timing was perfect and she had Jack to thank for his own hours of staking out for a few days. She had all that she needed to head up and face Elena alone. _It'll be like meeting an old friend, _she told herself. _She is Alex's sister right? Right._

She pulled up out front of the house and scanned the area. So far, there was no signs of life. She stepped out of the Tiggo and felt the gravel crush under her boots as she walked to the front door. She slammed the knocker and waited. Her heart beat rapidly inside of her chest as she looked around the front of the property. The door behind her opened and caught her by surprise. The woman stood expectantly.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Nell could only but stare at the woman before her. She swallowed hard and took in a sharp breath. "Uh, hi." Everything Nell had prepared to say went out of the window. She was expecting someone closer to the resemblance of the photos she'd seen of the woman. Not a double for Alexandra Callen.

"I'm sorry. Seeing you in person just caught me by surprise. You look just like her."

Elena Alvarez tilted her head, a crease of confusion formed between her brows. "Like who?"

"Your sister."

"Who are you?" Elena studied the uninvited visitor. She was petite, with auburn hair and hazel eyes which showed intelligence. Elena narrowed her eyes, and she became wary.

"My name is Eleanor Muir, I work in research for a television network back in the States. I've been looking into cold cases, such as your mother's."

"Research? You've come a long way for nothing." She went to close the door, but Nell shoved her boot inside to stop it.

"Please. Your sister needs you."

Elena glared intently at Nell. "Lexi's in danger?" It was news to her, how come she hadn't been told.

"Can we talk inside, please?" Elena nodded and stepped back to allow her entry.

Nell noted how Elena's hand hovered near her back and she knew that Elena was carrying. She raised her hands, "I'm not carrying, I'm not here to hurt you."

Elena nodded and relaxed. "Please come on through to my office. We won't be disturbed in there when my husband returns."

"Thank you." Nell sat in the appointed cream leather armchair.

"Can I offer you a drink, tea, coffee?"

"Water would be fine, thanks." Nell watched the woman open a fresh bottle of cool water, straight from the Andres alps. She swallowed the liquid and found herself calming down a notch. She needed to rein in her nerves, but seeing Elena as a slightly older version of Alex had taken her breath away.

"Please, tell me about Lexi." Elena sat on the edge of her desk, observing her visitor.

"I don't know her as Lexi. Her name is Kelly Sheers. She's married to a guy named Tom with two kids."

"Huh! Is that the name he's going by these days?" Nell saw a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Pardon?" Nell was confused by Elena's reaction.

Confusion crossed Elena's face. "You said two kids?" Why didn't she know that her sister had another child? Katie would be ten by now, but the last she'd heard, her sister hadn't had anymore.

"Yes. A few days ago, she gave birth to a boy. Samuel."

Elena raised a brow and nodded her head. "I should have known he'd name his son, Samuel."

"I'm not following you? You know about your sister and her husband?"

"Of course I do." Elena stood and walked over to a wall unit and pulled out an album. "Our father keeps a close watch over her since the Holdens adopted her. She was only a baby when our mother was killed in cold blood. That woman, she had no right to come into our house and kill our mother. They were familia. She should have been safe."

"You know who killed your mother?" Nell's voice raised in pitch, she hadn't expected for Elena to know about her sister and her family nor about Hetty killing her mother.

"Of course I do. Everyone in our family knows." Elena handed the album over to Nell.

Nell's heart pounded fast and hard in her chest. Photos of Alex all through her life and there were some of her with Callen and many more of Katie. _Elena knows_. There was no use in denying it now.

"You are a friend of his, are you not?" Elena pointed to Callen. "You work with him?"

Nell's eyes met Elena's gaze and she fought to rein in her emotions. "You look surprised, Nell Jones. You think that I am living isolated from my mother's family down in Argentina and that I know nothing about my sister and her husband?"

"You know who I am?" Nell realised that she was burned and she no longer felt safe.

"Yes, I do. But the information that I have on you is good, so you don't need to be afraid. The only thing I need to know, is who sent you here to find me?"

"Callen sent me. He's worried about your sister. She's just found out who she is."

A mixture of emotion crossed Elena's face. She took in a deep breath and slowly released it. "It would be a shock to her, to find out that she is the enemy to her husband. She loves him dearly. That I do know." Elena poured herself a glass of water and sat down in her chair. "So Henrietta Lange didn't send you, like she sent Lauren Hunter then?"

Nell shook her head. "No. She actually argued with Callen about me coming here."

Elena waved her hand in the air. "Of course she would. She's trying to hide the truth about who she is and what she's done."

"She's admitted who she is to our Director. Callen knows."

"That she's a Comescu?" Elena laughed. "Wow, the old lady must have felt desperate to admit that." Elena's visage darkened. "Do you know that she was the one who killed my mother?"

"Yes. To protect Callen."

"That's a lie." Anger raged within Elena and she stood up and paced the room. "Hetty killed my mother, because she, my mother, was the one protecting Callen and his sister."

"What?" Fear for Callen, Alex and their children grew in the pit of her stomach.

"My mother was sent to America by my Aunt Alexa, to watch over the children, to ensure they remained safe. She overheard her cousin, who you know as Hetty, that she would destroy the daughter."

"Amy?" Nell looked confused.

Elena shook her head. "No. Clara Callen. She arranged for men who worked for our family to kill her on the beach. Hetty arranged with Clara to meet her there, but it was a trap. But then she found out that Clara had two children, Amy and Gavrill."

"You know Callen's name?"

Elena nodded. "It was better for him not to know who he was, it was safer for him. It took Hetty two years to find Gavrill. A cousin of Clara's, Owen Granger, he managed to fake Amy's death, to protect her from Hetty. He's one smart man and a good man. But he was too late for Gavrill." Elena paused and tilted her head to Nell. "But you know Owen, don't you? He chose you to watch Hetty. You must be good at what you do, seeing that you still live." Elena heaved out a sigh. "Our mother tried to hide Gavrill in our house, but then she heard that Hetty was looking for him, so she had to hide him in an orphanage. It was hard saying goodbye to him. He was small for his age, but beautiful. His eyes, so blue and his hair was fair, like mine. We could have been brother and sister. But the life he had with us during those two years wasn't what our mother wanted for him. She wanted him to live a happy and safe life. But he was in danger and we had to hide him in the attic. I used to go up there and play with him. We're the same age and it was like having a twin. But it wasn't safe for him to leave the attic."

A tear escaped Elena's eyes and ran down her cheek. She looked back over to Nell. "I loved him like a brother. I cried for weeks after he left us. It was so hard. Then Hetty came and killed my mother. I was out with Tatā and when we came home the house was surrounded by police and FBI. That's when Tatā met Oscar Holden and he asked him to take care of my sister."

"I'm sorry, for the loss of your mother. You wouldn't have been very old, yourself."

"Thank you, Nell. Is it okay if I call you Nell? Oscar said that you could be trusted." She nodded.

"Oscar knows about the family then?"

"He does. He's kept Tatā and I up to date with Lexi throughout her life. She was just a baby and Tatā feared that Hetty would hurt her too. So Oscar had to keep her close, which is why he and his wife adopted her in a closed adoption. So Hetty wouldn't find out."

Elena leaned forward. "Oscar told us that Owen Granger placed you on Hetty's radar to spy on her? You must be really good to not get caught. The last one to spy on her was kidnapped and killed."

"Who?"

"He was young, just out of your training school for agents, FLETC?"

"Yes, that's what it's called. Do you have a name?"

"Vail. Dominic Vail. Your director placed him inside the office, but he got caught."

The wind escaped Nell as she heard the name. She'd come along after Dom and never realised that Hetty was the reason behind his kidnapping. She'd read the file, kidnapped on his way home, kept prisoner for three months and after the team went in to rescue him, he was shot in the leg and bled out.

"You look pale, Nell. Have some more water." She poured another glass and handed it over to her.

"This is a lot to take in." Nell's hands shook as she held the glass.

"You've just realised how much danger that you're in if she finds out who you really are. Don't worry, she may be the duchess of deception, but you are the princess of purity. You would be dead if she suspected you."

Nell knew what she was getting at, everyone looked at her and thought that she was just brains and that she couldn't hurt a flea. It was safer for her if people continued to think that about her. It was good for her cover, but Elena knew far more about her than she thought anyone could. Or that she'd allowed.

"What I am trying to understand is if, what you say is true about Hetty, why she hasn't tried to kill Callen yet? From where Callen and others stand, Hetty's been the one constant in his life and worked hard to protect him from your family."

Elena gave her a cynical laugh. "If you want to call placing him in abusive foster families and dragging him away from perfectly good ones at a moment's notice, protecting him, then go ahead. Thirty-seven foster families is a lot, don't you think?"

"Yes, it is. I have to agree with you. You do know that there are others out there that Hetty's trained to be agents, just like Callen?"

"Yes. Lauren Hunter. Seven years ago, she had the gall to come to my house and demand every detail of my time in Romania with my family. She held a gun to my children and demanded information from me and told me that I was never to set foot in Europe again, or she would come and kill me. No one in my family knew that she was an imposter, at first anyway. Eventually we got word to family in Romania and soon after Hetty showed up, trying to pretend that Gavrill was dead, the last of the Callen line. But we knew otherwise. Aunt Alexa played the game along with Hetty, pretending that she didn't remember who she was. That's why she shot her. For her conceit to go home and pretend that she's protecting her boy, as she calls him." Anger resurfaced through Elena's body. "She is evil. Pure evil. But when Gavrill turned up to rescue her, Aunt Alexa saw the look in his eyes. He was surprise at how much Lexi looked like her. She then saw my imposter enter with a weapon. By now she was aware who Hunter really was and she drew her gun out to protect him, but this woman shot my aunt instead. She tried to kill her, so she couldn't protect Gavrill from them."

"Tried?" Nell's eyes widened, that wasn't in the report. The report that the team and Hunter had provided said that Alexa Comescu was dead.

"Yes. My Aunt Alexa is alive and lives here with us. What Lauren Hunter didn't know was that Aunt Alexa was wearing a bullet proof vest, all she had to do was pretend that she was dead. But it was no longer safe for her to live in Romania. To keep the illusion up that she was dead, she had to go into hiding." Elena sighed heavily. "Which wasn't good for my cousins. Dracul and Vasile, who then blamed Gavrill for Hetty escaping and for the imposter, so they've behaved like stupid baboons.

"What about the Sanchez family next door. They owe your mother's family a great deal of money."

"The Sanchez's moved in next door five years ago after the incident with Hetty in Romania, to protect us. Incase more agents came down here to hurt us."

"Have anymore come?"

"Until you knocked on my door, none."

"But you know I am not here to hurt you, any of you."

"Yes. But I need confirmation from your companion, that he will not harm us either."

"He's here to protect me, nothing else. He's here, because Callen asked him to come."

"They are close, Gavrill and this man, Sam Hanna?"

"Yes, like brothers."

"Which is why he's named his son, Samuel. It's very fitting. Our family have a great deal to thank this Sam Hanna. Gavrill would be dead, if it wasn't for him." Elena walked over to the window and looked outside. "He will be joining us in a few minutes. I have men heading over to his position as we speak. Is there anyway you can contact him to tell him to come peacefully?"

Nell nodded and picked up her cell and quickly sent him a text. "Sam, it is safe. Some men are coming your way, please don't harm them. They are bringing you to the house."

"Copy that."

Sam Hanna stood up from his hiding position and raised his hands. He was surrounded by Sanchez men who had weapons aimed at him. "I come in peace."

One of the younger men moved forward and took all of Sam's weapons and the back pack with the remainder of the gear. Once he was checked over and cleared, the weapons dropped from pointing at him.

"Sam Hanna. Please come with me." An older man opened the passenger door to the truck. Sam nodded and followed. So far, they appeared to be civilised.

The truck rocked and bumped along the dirt road that led to the Alvarez family home. When the old man stopped he turned to him. "Mrs Alvarez is expecting you."

Sam nodded and exited the truck, heading towards the front entrance. The front door opened and he too was shocked to see a woman who resembled Alex on the other side.

"Sam Hanna. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Please come in."

Sam shook her hand and saw strength in her character. This wasn't a woman who had run away from the Comescu power. She was one of them. His brow furrowed as he followed her to the study and relief spread across his face when he found Nell sitting rather relaxed in an armchair.

"Please, take a seat." Sam walked over and sat down in the chair beside Nell. "We have a lot to catch up on, Sam. Is it okay if I call you, Sam? We are after all, almost familia."

Sam looked sideways at Nell who nodded to him that it was okay. "Yeah, sure."

"Good. "Would you like something to drink? Tea, coffee, water?"

"I'm fine, thanks. What is it that I need to catch up on? He looked between Elena and Nell, expectantly.

_A/N: Whose is shocked by this news that Elena knows everything about her sister and Callen and that Hetty is the evil queen in this story? Love to know your thoughts, please leave a review._


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